Finance Secretary Dr Ghanshyam Upadhaya (left) and ADB President Masato Kanda.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda arrived in Kathmandu on Monday morning for a high-level visit, underscoring ADB's role as Nepal's largest development partner with an active portfolio of $3.9 billion. The visit comes at a pivotal moment as Nepal’s newly formed government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, reshapes its national and economic priorities.
During his Nepal visit, President Kanda—accompanied by South Asia Department Director General Sona Shrestha—visited Vishwa Niketan School in Tripureshwar to monitor bank-funded initiatives. In a major step toward boosting regional commerce, the government of Nepal and the ADB are also set to sign a $50 million loan agreement aimed at modernizing customs administration and facilitating trade.
Focusing on energy infrastructure, President Kanda joined Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and Norwegian Ambassador Dagny Mjøs to virtually inaugurate the Markichowk and Mulpani substations. The delegation also inspected the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Distribution Command and Control Center and an ADB-financed Data Center. These installations will provide real-time monitoring to secure the electricity supply in Kathmandu and lay the groundwork for lucrative cross-border clean energy trade across South Asia.
President Kanda is scheduled to hold meeting with Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle, followed by a formal meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Tuesday. Reflecting on six decades of bilateral partnership, Kanda highly praised Nepal’s remarkable resilience through historic economic shocks, pledging that the ADB will help transform that resilience into sustained, long-term progress.
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