KATHMANDU: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) enters the tenth year of its inception.

The SDF was set up by the 16th SAARC Summit held in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu to mobilize economic cooperation for raising people’s living standard of those below the poverty line in the SAARC member States.

The Fund has invested in around 90 small and medium scale regional projects including in physical infrastructure, economic income, and social security in the eight member states in the last nine years.

The SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu states that these projects have been focused on carrying out income generating works from home, assisting the farmers in solving their problems and supporting programs aimed at reducing infant and maternal deaths.

Likewise, the projects are also related to promotion of good governance in rural areas through digital means, expanding connectivity, eradicating violence against women and children, ensuring easy access to potable water, and promotion of health and sanitation.

The Fund has invested big amount in economic and infrastructure projects including transport, energy, tourism, among others by giving high priority to regional integration and economic progress.