Opinion | Potholes for pride
Summary
Nepal's national pride projects face severe delays due to funding issues, political interference, and inefficient procurement, projecting a 41-year timeline for completion.
Key Points
- It will take another 41 years to complete the 17 ongoing national pride projects in Nepal at the current funding and execution rate.
- Delays are caused by extended approval times for land acquisition and tree cutting, outdated methods, and a lengthy procurement process averaging 231 days.
- Political interference and quarterly cash rationing lead to poor quality infrastructure and wasted resources, with over 40 percent of capital spending occurring in the final month of the fiscal year.
- Reforms suggested include tighter project pipelines, digital land acquisition and environmental clearance processes, improved procurement practices beyond lowest-bid selection, and risk-sharing models to enhance efficiency.
