Kathmandu, Nepal, April 9, 2019 – During GGGI’s Director-General Frank Rijsberman’s visit to Kathmandu between April 5 and 9, he met with high-level officials, including the Prime Minister of Nepal; the Minister and Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Environment (MOFE); and the Minister, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MOPIT) to discuss ways in which GGGI could strengthen collaboration and support for green growth as well as electric mobility in Nepal, including new investment opportunities for electric buses.

During his meeting with Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Dr. Frank Rijsberman expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister for the launch of the National Action Plan for Electric Mobility, developed by the Government of Nepal and GGGI in 2018. GGGI and the Ministry of Forests and Environment have been working closely since 2017 to advance clean, sustainable transportation and to support the Government to get electric buses on the road.

On day three of his visit to Kathmandu, Dr. Rijsberman also took part in a signing ceremony where GGGI inked a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with five government ministries, as well as MoUs with Mahalaxmi Municipality and the Sajha Yatayat public transport cooperative. In addition to this, Mayor Shrestha, Dr. Frank Rijsberman and the GGGI Nepal team paid a visit to Mahalaxmi, one of GGGI’s green secondary cities in Nepal to explore current water and sanitation projects and facilities in the city.

Together with key government partners and representatives from the climate change, transport, cities, sanitation and local development sectors, Dr. Rijsberman celebrated the official opening of the new Nepal Country Office in Kathmandu.

GGGI has been operating in Nepal since 2015, where it is embedded within the Ministry of Forests and Environment. During 2017-2018, GGGI Nepal implemented Phase I of the Green Municipal Development Program, and the Electric Mobility Program. Phase II of both programs will be implemented during 2019-20.