Cabinet approves Rs 14.38 billion concessional loan from ADB

KATHMANDU: The government has decided to accept a concessional loan worth approximately Rs 14.38 billion from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Making public the Cabinet decisions taken at the meeting held at Singha Durbar on December 15, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel said the Cabinet approved the acceptance of a concessional loan of USD 100 million under the Strengthening Public Financial Management and Improved Service Delivery Programme.

The Cabinet meeting also decided to allow Nepali and Indian citizens to carry Indian currency notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations, issued after November 9, 2016, across the Nepal–India border, up to a maximum limit of Rs 25,000 per person.

Similarly, the Cabinet approved the temporary creation of eight officer-level posts for the remaining period of the current fiscal year 2025/26 under the Irrigation Modernisation Enhancement Project operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

According to Minister Kharel, the Cabinet also decided to form a Nepali delegation, led by a joint secretary from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, to participate in the ninth meeting of the Nepal–India Joint Agriculture Working Group scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from December 27 to 29.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the transfer of Armed Police Force Deputy Inspector Generals Narayan Dutta Paudel, Banshi Raj Dahal and Ganesh Bahadur Thadamagar.

The meeting also granted prior approval to conduct an organisational and management survey of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its affiliated agencies.