The Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)s to help Nepal government enhance reforms in local governance.
According to a press release issued Wednesday by the UNDP in Kathmandu, the two MoU for Administrative Arrangements focus on expanding the outreach of UNDP's ongoing Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment Program to four municipalities and initiating new methods of supporting service delivery for marginalized groups.
The ADB is providing 381,000 U.S. dollars for the projects.
During the signing ceremony, the ADB Country Director for Nepal, Barry Hitchcock said, "ADB is keen to work with interested development partners in supporting local governance reforms in Nepal. As the country moves towards a federal form of governance, it is necessary that greater focus be placed on providing more effective service delivery at all levels of local government, including municipalities".
UNDP Country Director Anne-Isabelle Degryse-Blateau said, "We are very pleased at this landmark agreement between the ADB and UNDP and we look
forward to seeing improvements in the delivery of basic services through the expansion of Public Private Partnerships."