Nepali Congress Spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat has asserted that his party is against taking loan assistance from China under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project.
Mahat made this statement arguing that taking loans under the auspices of the China's BRI project during the upcoming China visit of Prime Minister KP Oli would be imprudent.
Recalling that the BRI agreement, which involves investment, connectivity and technical assistance, was signed during his tenure as the Foreign Minister, Mahat strongly urged that only grants be accepted.
Answering the queries raised by journalists on the premises of the Federal Parliament on Friday, the former Foreign Minister argued that the country should avoid taking further loans as it is already burdened by the foreign debt.
Mahat further said that China must uphold its promise of grant assistance to Nepal, as it has previously committed to do so.
"NC is not against the BRI. We have only said that loans should not be taken now. I signed that memorandum of understanding (MoU), which contains matters of investment, connectivity, and technical assistance. What NC wants is that connectivity should be supported by grants for tunnels and roads. The Chinese government has not fulfilled its longstanding commitment to provide grant assistance. It should be implemented," Mahat said.
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