PODS by PEI

There prevail challenges to financing Nepal's development and growth in the midst of its limited sources of funding available. In this current climate of limited funding, foreign aid, foreign direct investment, and domestic resources have played a crucial role to sustain Nepal’s economy. Nepal has received financial assistance from several countries, including the US, Japan, and the UK, as well as international multilateral organizations like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The government has also implemented policies to attract foreign investment, particularly in sectors such as hydropower, tourism, and manufacturing. Additionally, Nepal has been focusing on increasing tax revenues and promoting entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises to boost economic growth. However, there is a need for better coordination and monitoring of the use of funds, as well as a focus on creating an enabling environment for private sector investment to sustain growth and development in the long term. In this episode, the first of a two-part series, PEI Executive Director Saumitra Neupane sits down with two guests, Anup Upreti and Shreejesh Ghimire to discuss the current state of, and the future of development financing in Nepal. They also discuss some of the underlying factors for Nepal's inability to mobilize financing for infrastructure and economic development and the roles and challenges of mobilizing foreign capital in the country. Anup is a legal expert who regularly advises clients on diverse transactional matters ranging from foreign investment and project finance to private equity. He is the Managing Partner of Pioneer Law Associates and specializes in financial laws, foreign investment, private equity, and capital markets. He holds a degree in Banking and Financial Law from the Queen Mary University of London, U.K. Similarly, Shreejesh is the Chief Investment Officer at NMB Bank Ltd. and was formerly the CEO of NMB Capital Limited. He is an MBA graduate from Kathmandu University School of Management, specializing in Finance, Marketing. He also holds a BMCC from Pune University, India. This episode has been partly funded by the generous contribution of VRock & Company. Click here to support us on Patreon!!

गाँउ गाँउमा सिंहदरबारको मनोकांक्षाले स्थापित सङ्घीय शासन प्रणालीमा तीनै तहका सरकारलाई हालसम्म पनि वार्षिक योजना तर्जुमा र बजेट परिचालन गर्दा सुशासनका मापदण्डहरुको परिपालना चूनौतिपूर्ण रहदै आएको देखिन्छ । तीन तहको सरकारको उपस्थिति रहेपनि आवश्यकतामा आधारित योजना तर्जुमा र योजनाको प्रभावकारी कार्यान्वयन अझैपनि कसरी गर्ने भन्ने सोचमै सीमित रहेको छ । तीनै तहको सरकारको वार्षिक कार्यक्रम र बजेट विगत पाँच वर्षमा कहिल्यै पनि पूर्ण रुपमा खर्च हुन नसक्नु र भएको खर्चमा पनि सुशासनको दृष्टिकोणले विभिन्न प्रश्नहरु उठिरहेको सन्दर्भमा सङ्घ र प्रदेशमा निर्वाचित जनप्रतिनिधीहरु मार्फत खर्च भईरहेको निर्वाचन क्षेत्र विकास कार्यक्रम र निर्वाचन क्षेत्र पूर्वाधार विकास कार्यक्रम पनि विवादबाट अछुतो रहन सकेको छैन । त्यसमा पनि न्यून रकमका योजनाहरुको संख्या धेरै हुनु, राजनैतिक आस्थाका आधारमा योजना छनौट हुनु, योजना सञ्चालनमा जनप्रतिनिधिसंग सम्बन्धित राजनैतिक दलका कार्यकर्ता मात्र संलग्न हुनु, योजनाहरु अधुरो रहनु, सम्पन्न योजनाहरु हस्तान्तरण नहुनु, पर्याप्त मात्रामा योजनाहरुको अनुगमन र मुल्यांकन नहुनु, जनसहभागिता नजुटनु जस्ता जनगुनासोहरु व्यापक रुपमा सुन्ने गरिन्छ । जनताको आवश्यकतालाई सम्बोधन गर्ने भन्दै आफु खुशी विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरु विभिन्न माध्यम र निकायहरु मार्फत संचालन हुदै गर्दापनि यसले आम नागरीकको प्राथमिकता र आवश्यकतालाई अझै पनि सम्बोधन गर्न सकेको देखिदैन्, जसले यस्ता योजनाहरुको औचित्यमै प्रश्न उठाएको छ । देश विकास र जनताको लागि भनेर गरिने यस्ता खर्चहरुमा सम्बन्धित पक्ष पारदर्शि र जनउत्तरदायी हुनुका साथसाथै जनसहभागितालाई सुनिश्चित गर्नुपर्ने आवाज पटक पटक उठने गरेकै छ ।

In February 2020, just two months into the Covid-19 Pandemic, the World Health Organization announced another contagious threat to humans, an infodemic. They defined the phenomenon as ​​an excess of information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. Today, almost a year after the pandemic ceased, the infodemic persists. The global information system remains plagued by fervent misinformation that percolates and continues to intensify whatever outbreak it covers. In this episode, Deepak and Khushi discuss the Nepali media landscape, particularly in light of the worldwide infodemic wherein dubious information is excessive. Deepak draws on his extensive background in journalism and fact-checking to discuss how Nepali media has evolved and the contemporary issues it faces as new digital media dominate its grounds. They discuss instances of deceptive and manipulative disinformation he discovered online during the recent elections and the pandemic and analyze how misinformation exacerbates sensitive subjects by intensifying people's reactions to them. The two end by exploring possible collective action to instill integrity in our media and garner vigilance in Nepali audiences. Deepak is the editor of Nepal Check, an independent, non-partisan fact-checking platform. He was the editor of South Asia Check, Nepal’s first fact-checking outlet, and has worked as a correspondent for international news agencies like AFP, DPA, and Anadolu Agency. His work has appeared in major international publications such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Time, Al Jazeera, and Nikkei Asia. He currently focuses on innovations in fact-checking and digital investigation. Click here to support us on Patreon!!

From being a food net exporter, Nepal became a food net importer in a matter of a few decades. Whilst agriculture is the mainstay for the majority of the Nepali population, the markets are flooded with imported agricultural commodities. Only recently, farmers in Chitwan staged a protest against the unfair market price for local production due to high imports of goods from India. In today’s episode, PEI colleague Lasata Joshi sits with Dr. Jagannath Adhikari to discuss Nepal’s growing dependence on food imports. Dr. Jagannath is a human geographer and holds a Ph.D. in Human Geography from The Australian National University. He is currently associated with The Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, where he is an Adjunct Research Fellow, and with the Nepal Institute of Development Studies (NIDS) as a Senior Researcher. He has carried out a great deal of research on themes like food systems, agricultural development, land reform and management, participatory forest management, biodiversity, urban environment and climate change and food security, and migration and development. In today's episode, Lasata and Dr. Jagannath talk about how an increase in reliance on food imports is a threat to Nepal’s national sovereignty. They also explain how, while being predominantly an agricultural economy, the country's food import transactions have expanded in recent decades. Click here to support us on Patreon!!

The podcast discusses Nepal's solar revolution and the future of clean energy. It covers topics such as the country's ambitious target to expand clean energy generation, the potential and challenges of solar power, the Grips Project addressing solar power intermittency, NEA's perspective on solar electricity and revenue impact, challenges and criticisms in the electricity sector, and the challenges of land availability for solar projects in Nepal.

America's foreign policy has undergone significant evolution since its founding. After World War II, the country embraced a policy of containment towards the Soviet Union, leading to increased involvement in international affairs. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War marked a shift towards a more interventionist foreign policy, as seen in the Gulf War and post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Russia-Ukraine War, which began in 2014 with Russia's annexation of Crimea, marked a new low in US-Russian relations, with the US imposing economic sanctions in response. China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region has also been a challenge for US foreign policy, with the US responding with a mix of engagement and competition, including trade tensions and efforts to strengthen partnerships in the region. In this episode, PEI’s Anurag Acharya sits with Ryan Hass to discuss the US and its role as a global leader in a changing geopolitical landscape. Ryan Hass is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Asia Foundation. From 2013 to 2017, he has served as the Director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia at the U.S. National Security Council, advising President Obama and senior White House officials on all aspects of American policy towards these three countries. In this 15-year tenure in the US Foreign Service, Ryan served in various American embassies, from Beijing, and Seoul, to Ulaanbaatar. He has authored multiple books, including “Stronger: Adapting America's China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence.” Anurag and Ryan discuss the evolution of American foreign policy, especially in the last two tumultuous decades since 9/11, and how that has impacted its position as a global leader. They also examine contemporary world crises like the Russia-Ukraine War, as well as the potential conflict between US and China over Taiwan, and America’s response to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Ryan further elaborates his proposition that, instead of looking for a hostile contestation, the US and China both have to learn to live with each other, that the US must invest in itself and in its friends, and how the collaboration between these competing powers on collective-action problems like climate change can result in better outcomes for everyone. Click here to support us on Patreon!!

२०७२ सालमा संविधान निर्माण भए पश्चात, संघीय लोकत्रान्तिक गणतन्त्र नेपालको सरकारले आफ्नो पहिलो ५ वर्षको कार्यकाल समापन गरि, हालै सम्पन्न तिनै तहको निर्वाचन पछाडि, दोस्रो सरकार गठन र सञ्चालनको प्रक्रिया अगाडि बढेको स्थिति छ | यसै परिप्रेक्षमा, आज हामी देशमा भैरहेको राजनीतिक खिचातानी र हारजितको अन्तरङ्गमा रहेर, आजका हाम्रा अतिथि प्रा. डा. विद्यानाथ कोइरालाको कान्तिपुर दैनिकमा गत पुष ७ गते प्रकाशित लेख “राजनीतिक दलहरूले सिर्जेको दलदल” को सेरोफेरोमा संवाद गर्ने छौं | आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, डा. विद्यानाथ कोइराला सँग संवादमा बस्दैछन्, जहाँ उनी डा. कोइरालाको लेख र उहाँले एउटा शिक्षाविद्को हैसियतमा लामो समय देखि गर्दै आउनुभएको शिक्षाका काम,  कुरा र अनुभवका बारेमा कुराकानी गर्नेछन्! आजको भागमा डा. कोइरालाले नेपालमा रहेका राजनैतिक दल, तिनका नेता र तिनले आफ्ना अनुयायीहरूलाई कस्तो शिक्षा प्रदान गरिराखेका छन् भनेर अहिलेको हाम्रो राजनीतिक पृष्ठभूमिसँग जोडेर हेर्न खोज्नु भएको छ | डा. कोइराला त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयका पूर्वप्राध्यापक हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँ सँग राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोग, शिक्षा मन्त्रालय, प्रधानमन्त्रीको कार्यालय र एसिया फाउन्डेसन नेपाल, एसियाली विकास बैंक, जाइका, युनेस्को, युरोपेली शिक्षा आयोग जस्ता अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय महत्वका संस्थाहरूका लागि रणनीतिक योजना र कार्यक्रममा काम गरेको लामो र उदाहरणीय अनुभव छ। यसमा उहाँको भूमिका पाठ्यक्रम विकास गर्ने र शिक्षाको विकेन्द्रीकरण, अनौपचारिक शिक्षा, शिक्षामा लैङ्गिक, जातीय, र अपाङ्गताका समस्याहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्ने रहेको छ।

In this podcast, Shreeya interviews Subina Shrestha about Nepal's transportation sector and its impact on global emissions. They discuss the need for Nepal to transition to sustainable options and the challenges and opportunities involved. The podcast also explores the progress and challenges of Nepal's transition towards sustainable transportation, as well as the differences between private and public electric transportation. Additionally, they highlight the barriers faced in transitioning to electric mobility in Nepal and the importance of battery waste management.

India has been seeking to expand its global influence and has set ambitious goals for itself in this regard. For example, last December, India assumed the presidency of the G20, a group of the world's largest economies that aims to promote international economic cooperation. This has been presented as a significant opportunity for India to showcase its leadership and advance its economic and foreign policy goals on the global stage. India's G20 presidency will also have implications for South Asia. The country's leadership role in the G20 could lead to an increased focus on the region and potentially lead to greater economic integration and cooperation among South Asian countries. Additionally, India's emphasis on the digital economy, climate change, and health could also have spillover effects for the region. But while India looks outward globally, China, in recent years, has been increasing its presence in South Asia through various means, such as infrastructure development and investment. This increasing Chinese presence in its traditional sphere of influence has been a concern for India, and it has been responding with its own set of initiatives of diplomacy, development, and investment initiatives. In this episode, PEI’s Nirjan sits with Mandakini Surie to discuss these global ambitions of India, the position it holds in the various Indo-Pacific Strategies to counter the rise of China, and the impact this has on its South Asian Neighbors. Click here to support us on Patreon!!

Ep. Br#010 In 2026, Nepal will be graduating from the LDC status after meeting the graduation criteria for three consecutive UN triennials (2015, 2018, 2021) reviews conducted by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP). Nepal has been granted an additional two years to the 3-year transition period generally given by the UN, therefore, making graduation effective from 2026. However, questions have been raised on this proposal as Nepal’s GNI per capita is well below the LDC graduation threshold and also below the LDC average hence, the rising doubts on whether Nepal will be able to sustain the status. Notably, Nepal will have to relinquish the International Support Mechanisms it has been receiving as an LDC. That would mean the loss of preferential market access, stringent rules of origin requirements, and possible increases in tariffs on selected goods leading to significant losses in exports. In this episode of The Brief, PEI colleague Aslesh sits with Dr. Paras Kharel, where the two talk about the rationale behind categorizing countries as an LDC and discuss Nepal’s graduation from the LDC status and its implications on trade, development assistance and policy space. They then examine the failings of the export sector and the policy changes required to boost the sector. They conclude with some key takeaways from the post-graduation experiences and strategies of a few countries which have graduated and competently sustained the graduation. Paras Kharel is Executive Director at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), a Kathmandu-based think tank. He has over 15 years of research experience in trade and development. He has a PhD in Economics (University of Melbourne) with specialization in international trade and applied microeconometrics. His publications include two edited volumes on South Asian cooperation/integration, and articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Review of International Economics, International Economics, and East Asian Economic Review.