China has announced it is to immediately implement the reconstruction of the infrastructures damaged by the earthquake and to provide Rs one billion in financial assistance for the same.

Nepal’s northern neighbor declared this in the Joint Bilateral Meeting on Post Disaster Reconstruction Plan between the Government of Nepal and Government of People's Republic of China held at the Ministry of Finance, on Thursday.

The Nepali delegation in the meeting was led by Suman Prasad Sharma, Finance Secretary and the Chinese delegation by Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy China International Trade Representative, Ministry of Commerce, of the People’s Republic of China.

In the meeting, friendly discussions were held to implement China Grant Assistance Package Plan (2016-2018) for Nepal's post-earthquake reconstruction as announced by the Chinese Government during the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction (ICNR), 25 June 2015.

Both sides also reviewed China’s Emergency Relief Assistance to Nepal in the immediate aftermath of the devastating earthquake of 25 April and the existing bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation between the two countries. Both sides agreed to give high priority for the implementation of the post-earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.

Finance Secretary Sharma told that China will promptly start works on resuming the Araniko Highway damaged by landslide triggered by the earthquake, the under-construction dry port at Larcha of Sindhupalchowk which was damaged by the same landslide and the customs office at Rasuwagadhi.

He further said that China has agreed to speed up works on projects such as development of settlements, reconstruction and providing other material support to the quake survivors in Sindhupalchok, expansion of the under-construction eight-lane Ring Road.

“China has agreed to immediately implement the grant assistance project as per Nepal’s priority and also to start at the soonest the remaining works on some projects after carrying out feasibility study,” Secretary Sharma said.

He said the settlement development and safe housing construction projects in Kathmandu and Sindhupalchok which would be carried out on a trial basis would be executed under the grant aid. Schools and health centers would also be constructed in the earthquake-affected areas.

It may be recalled here that China had announced to provide Rs 77.70 billion in the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction on June 25. As per this, grant aid projects would be run for the coming three years.

The meeting was concluded by signing a MoU on Post-Disaster Reconstruction Aid Project Plan, an Agreement on Cash assistance of US Dollar 10 million and exchange of a letter for handover of the Medical Equipment to B. P. Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan. Finance Secretary Suman Prasad Sharma, and Zhang Xiangchen, the Deputy China International Trade Representative, Ministry of Commerce, signed the agreements on behalf of the government of Nepal, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, respectively.

Nepal thanked the government and the people of China for the emergency relief assistance provided immediately after the devastating earthquake as well as for providing special cash assistance and other assistances for post disaster recovery, and reconstruction, including capacity building in disaster prevention area, and medical and public health cooperation. The meeting was held in a friendly and cordial manner.

The government has expressed its sincere appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for this assistance and for its continued support in the socio-economic development of Nepal reports RSS.