Kathmandu: Nepal will be receiving grant assistance of Japanese yen 376 million (approximately Rs 350 million) from Japan for the implementation of the Project for Human Resource Development (JDS) Project in the year 2022/23.
Both parties signed and exchanged the notes in this regard during a program at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.
Finance Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini and Charge d’affaires ad interim at the Japanese Embassy in Kathmandu signed the agreement on behalf of their respective Governments.
On the same occasion, the grant agreement to this effect was signed by joint-secretary Ishwori Prasad Aryal of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division, Ministry of Finance, and Tanaka Tomoko, Senior Representative, JICA Nepal.
Japan has been providing such scholarship grants to the Government of Nepal in a phase-wise manner. Under the first phase of the project, 80 civil servants have already completed their Master’s Degree and returned home.
This grant will be utilized to administer the scholarship program, including for payment of the university tuition fee, living allowances, settlement allowances, insurance, and other basic allowances as well as supply of educational materials for 22 candidates (20 for Master’s degree and 2 for Ph.D. degree) to pursue their degrees in various Japanese Universities.
The scholarship provides the opportunity of pursuing two years Master’s degree and three years of Ph.D. courses to young Nepalese civil servants who are academically sound and are motivated to be engaged in Nepal’s socio-economic development after completion of their studies in Japan.
During the signing ceremony, Finance Secretary Marasini expressed his hope that this scholarship would be instrumental in developing the capacity of civil service.
He further stated that the knowledge, skills, and exposure acquired by the civil servants will be instrumental in improving the delivery of public services in Nepal and ultimately contribute to the socio-economic development of Nepal as well as in strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Similarly, Tamura expected that the JDS graduates will significantly contribute to Nepal’s socio-economic development as well as towards further strengthening the long-standing bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two countries.
Nepal expresses its sincere appreciation to Japan for its generous and continued support to socioeconomic and human resource development of Nepal, reads the release.
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