Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the US Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) agreement is in Nepal’s interest and there is no alternative to passing it.
Addressing a meeting of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party held at the Parliament House in New Baneshwor on Tuesday, Prime Minister Deuba briefed to parliamentarians that MCC was in Nepal’s interest.
Lawmaker Dr Shashank Koirala said that Prime Minister Deuba had briefed them that MCC should be passed and the same issue was discussed in the meeting. He informed, “Everyone in the meeting has said let’s pass MCC.”
During the meeting, former Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat informed about the MCC agreement and the benefits it would bring to Nepal. He said that MCC is in the interest of Nepal, so far MCC is running in many countries. “There is no US military presence in those countries, no intervention,” Mahat said at the meeting.
During the meeting, Mahat said that the Congress should be able to endure the misconceptions spread about MCC.
The meeting of the House of Representatives is being held on Wednesday. The meeting also discussed about presenting the MCC bill for discussion in Wednesday’s House Session. Prime Minister Deuba has already pledged to get the MCC agreement approved by the parliament by February 28.
Prime Minister Deuba has already proposed to present the MCC in the all-party meeting convened by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota on Monday. According to leaders, the MCC agreement is set to be tabled in parliament at Wednesday’s meeting.
Even, Prime Minister Deuba had telephone conversation with Sapkota in between the meeting.
According to MCC agreement, Nepal will receive US$ 500 million as grant to develop electricity transmission line and road construction.
