May 5, 2006
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Japan Approves the Utilization of the Counterpart Fund of KR2
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The Government of Japan has, based on the request made by His Majesty's Government of Nepal, recently approved the utilization of the Counterpart Fund of two hundred, and eighty-six million, twenty-one thousand Nepalese Rupees (NRs. 286,021,000) for the implementation of the following nine (9) projects.
In the agriculture (including fishery) sector, the Government of Japan has approved the following seven (7) projects to be implemented by various agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The projects include:
- "Special Agriculture Production Program (Buffer Fertilizer Storage and Management)" is implemented for managing the buffer stock fertilizer in Nepal with an objective of promoting agriculture productivity through the proper supply of chemical fertilizer.
- Japan has supported through various projects from the 1970's the promotion of the installation of deep tube-wells for irrigation in the Terai region, and replications of the same program have been supported thorough the "Agriculture Development Project Janakpur".
- Japan has also supported the sericulture sector from 1995 through technical cooperation. Self-help activities to use the techniques will be supported to promote sericulture under the "Sericulture Development Program".
- "Small Scale Irrigation and Co-operative Farming Based Small Irrigation Seeds and Fertilizers Transportation Subsidy Program" is a project designed to provide subsidies for repairs of small scale irrigation systems through farmers' groups in all districts, and for bearing transportation costs of seeds and fertilizer to 26 districts in mountain regions with poor access.
- Japan provided assistance in the fishery sector, mainly during the 1990s. Under the "Fisheries Development Program" and "Natural Water Fisheries Development Project", promotional work in the fishery sector will be continued.
- Japan at present is implementing a Technical Cooperation Project in the field of agriculture extensions by dispatching experts to improve systems and build capacity. The "Agricultural Training and Extension Improvement Project" will bear the required costs for conducting effective activities under the project.
In the forestry sector, the Government of Japan has approved one (1) project to be implemented by the Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation.
Japan has extended assistance in the field of watershed management around the Pokhara area through a participatory approach. The "Community Development and Forest/Watershed Conservation" project is expected to promote replication of the project activities.
In the irrigation sector, the Government of Japan has approved one (1) project to be implemented by the Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Water Resource.
Japan has provided technical assistance to establish a quality testing laboratory in Pokhara for irrigation works. Under the "Construction Quality Testing Laboratories" projects, four more laboratories will be established for testing purposes, which is expected to contribute in improving the quality of irrigation systems.
The Counterpart Fund was established through the financial assistance extended by the Government of Japan to increase agriculture production under KR2 (Increase of Food Production Project). His Majesty's Government of Nepal has procured fertilizer through this assistance, and sold it in the domestic market. The amount collected from selling the fertilizer was deposited as a Counterpart Fund. The Fund can be utilized for implementing various social and economic development projects through consultation between the two governments.
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