August 16, 2005
 Japan's Grant Aid for Classroom Construction
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The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grant assistance of five hundred and eighty-one million Yen ( 581,000,000), equivalent to approximately three hundred seventy-two million four hundred and twenty-one thousand Nepalese Rupees (NRs.372,421,000) in Japan's FY 2005, to His Majesty's Government of Nepal for the implementation of the Project for Construction of Primary Schools in Support of Education for All (Phase III).
Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged today between His Excellency Mr. Tsutomu HIRAOKA, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Nepal, and Mr. Bhanu Prasad Acharya, Secretary, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of their respective governments.
The Grant will be utilized exclusively for the procurement of necessary materials for the construction of 375 classrooms, 21 resource centers, 180 toilets, and the installation of 34 water supply units. It will also be used to supply 12,530 sets of classroom furniture and 21 sets of furniture for resource centers in Bara, Dadheldhura, Dhading, Makwanpur, Sindhuli, Kavrepalanchowk, Saptari, Syangja, and Gorkha Districts. The Government of Japan has also provided grant assistance totally 1,514,000,000 for the implementation of Phase I and II of Education for All in Japan's FYs 2003 and 2004, respectively. The implementation of Phase I has been successfully completed whereas Phase II is still in progress. These three different phases of the project aim to improve access to primary schools and quality basic and primary education in the target districts through the improvement of physical infrastructure and facilities. The overall goal of the Project is to contribute to the realization of the goal of "Education for All by 2015" as set out by His Majesty's Government of Nepal.
In addition, the Government of Japan provided grant aid of about 4.2 billion Yen to His Majesty's Government of Nepal for the implementation of the Basic and Primary Education Program (BPEP) from FY1994 to FY1997 (BPEP I) and FY1999 to FY2001 (BPEP II). Under the Program, through Japanese assistance alone, a total of 5,498 classrooms, 84 resource centers, 1,017 toilet blocks were constructed and 622 water supply units were installed in 25 districts. The Program plays a complementary role in contributing to the development of basic and primary education in Nepal by successfully constructing primary schools; an important factor in achieving improved access to basic and primary education.
Speaking on the occasion, HE Mr. HIRAOKA expressed his hope that the grant extended today will be implemented smoothly and successfully despite the prevailing insurgency in the country. He expressed his confidence that the grant will provide greater accessibility to children pursuing their primary level education. In addition, he also hoped that Japan's response to Nepal's requests to achieve sustainable socio-economic development for poverty alleviation will facilitate peace building and improve human security, which should ultimately contribute to recover peace and stability in the country as early as possible based on multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy. Mr. HIRAOKA further expressed his belief that this support will also help strengthen the existing friendly and cooperative relationship between Japan and the Kingdom of Nepal.
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