Kathmandu. India and China have been interfering in the internal politics of Nepal using its unstable politics and economic backwardness since a long time.  They both seem to compete against each other to prove as to being Nepal’s best friend but more often, their vested interests are clear to the discerning eyes.

The fact that Nepal’s closest neighbors  don’t have a deep friendly concern for the country’s development and prosperity, but they are interested in  something else, is made clear by the unfulfilled promise they had made for the reconstruction of Nepal after the 2015 quake.  They have remained silent in the issue all these five years.

India had announced an economic package of $1.4 billion dollars immediately after the disaster but has provided a meager $6 million in five years time. Similarly, China has availed $20 million to Nepal government out of the $778 million it had pledged.

Narendra Modi’s Indian government had won praises for being a true neighbor, standing alongside Nepal during hard times and offering such a generous aid. India, however, pulled its hand back and signed on $1.07 billion, 23 percent less than the pledged amount.

Similarly, China, which had signed to provide the pledged amount, has provided only 3 percent of the announced help. Out of $766 million it had announced, China has handed only $20 million to Nepal government.

On June 25 2015, the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction (ICNR) was held during Prime Minister Sushil Koirala’s tenure to garner economic support and solidarity from the international community after the devastating earthquake of April 2015. 24 parties including different countries and donor agencies had declared help to Nepal in the conference.

In the conference, donor countries and agencies had made a commitment for $4.1 billion assistance. They had signed and begun the initiation to hand over 89 percent of the announced sum to Nepal government, but Nepal government has received only 32 percent of that amount till date.

Exemplary South Korea

Among the international community, South Korea alone appeared as the entity that provided more economic assistance to Nepal than it had announced. South Korea had pledged $10 million but had signed on 84 percent of its pledged amount. It, however, has already provided $12 million to Nepal. The Finance Ministry informs that South Korea has provided 146 percent of the signed amount.

The pledged amount

As per the Ministry of Finance, Asian Development Bank (ADB) had pledged $600 million and signed on 54 percent of the pledged amount. Till date ADB has provided $152 million only to Nepal government.

Likewise, World Bank had announced $500 million help and signed on the whole amount. World Bank has provided $470 million, almost the total amount to Nepal government.

USA had pledged $130 million for the reconstruction of Nepal after the earthquake and signed for an added 23 percent, and has provided $42 million, which is 27 percent of the signed amount, to Nepal government.

EU announced for a $117 million assistance but later signed on $194 million, increasing the announcement by 65 percent and has already provided $111 million to Nepal government. Germany had pledged $33 million, but later increased it to $35 million. Finland on the other hand had pledged $2 million but decreased it to $1 million while signing. They have provided way below the promised sum — $9.4 million and 0.4 million respectively — to the Nepal government.

Japan had announced a help of $260 million in the beginning but later signed on $ 360 million, increasing it by 39 percent. The Japan government has already provided 63 percent, ie, $226 million of the declared help.

The record provided by the Finance Ministry to DCNepal shows that Norway had pledged a $15 million dollar help, signed on $5 million only but provided $10 million.

False promises

Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Netherland, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey pledged to provide economic assiatance to Nepal in the conference five years ago, but have not initiated towards providing the help

The sum pledged by these nations alone is US $113 million 338 thousand 1 hundred 15.  The International Monetary Fund had pledged a sum of $50 million, but it has not handed any of it to Nepal.

The world community had pledged $4.1 billion in aid for the recovery and reconstruction efforts and signed on $3.6 billion. Nepal government has received 32 percent of the amount, which amounts to $1.15 billion.