NRNA fourth global conference concludes in Kathmandu, but what next?
Surya B. Prasai
October 19, 2009
The Fourth Global Conference of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) recently concluded in Kathmandu with an 18 point declaration which includes such wide ranging commitments as creating an investment friendly environment, implementing provisions of an NRN Act that would eventually help those qualifying for dual citizenship to get it, besides, provide NRNs the opportunity to invest in national infrastructure and tourism solidifying their motif through a proposed Visit Nepal 2011 year.
These are all promising facets of a shared new Nepali vision under Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, but defied by the shenanigans of political bickering among the major parties, the continuing sluggish government approach to national growth, and, in general, cautious welcoming by the Nepal Government of the NRN commitments, which have been repeating themselves all over again in the past four years.
The question is: what next for NRNA? In the absence of national development thinking, where Nepalīs National Planning Commission does not even mention NRNs or their possible contributions, how might the NRNs be able to utilize their own resources to fill in the gaps? Absurd as it sounds, the UN in its latest Human Development Report has already juxtaposed the bottleneck to Nepali national development, it is the brewing political stalemate transformed into bundhs, hartaals, and chukka jams. Development simply is not happening, progress seems bygone, growth stymied.
However, the NRNs thought otherwise in Kathmandu last week, given their penchant for foreign experimental living and almost everything foreign. It seemed there were a few dozen success stories to boast of, and a few million dollars worth of cash being flaunted by the richest few. It was Indeed for those present with such lofty thinking, the vision qualified a unique political rejoinder: the NRNs are committed to national economic resurgence in 2009 and beyond, supposedly leaving behind the decade long civil conflict, replacing it with their foreign "josh" (enthusiasm) in helping heal the wounds of war, and narrow the poverty gap. Will the NRNs be taken seriously by the government this time? This is the big unanswered question!
Here are some dreamy propositions from the Fourth NRN meet e-mailed to me by a friend who felt a bit betrayed: an urging to all NRNs to invest in the Kathmandu-Birgunj fast-track, help in developing new hydro-electric projects and related infrastructure development especially in the rural and conflict affected regions, give a boost to food security, become active in stopping climate change in Nepal, etc. The NRNA aims to establish a fund of Rs. 100 million hopefully by next year, since the association is not yet registered in Nepal! Some of the NRNs who work in foreign projects abroad cleverly inserted a phrase that their expertise as NRNs be utilized in Nepali projects.
What NRNA must seriously reckon with towards the end of 2009, is that Nepal already faces a crisis of economic expectations. Inflation is unchecked, the average Nepali in Kathmandu cannot sustain a family of four on double income, nearly one third of the population is living below the poverty line, yet there is talk of revamping economic diplomacy as a new tool in Nepali development. It would have been suggestible, that the NRN wallas before organizing the Kathmandu meet, contacted Nepalīs professional corps of diplomats at Nep[al's Foreign Ministry on how their vision could be sustained in the long run as part of Nepali foreign and economic policy, or rather diplomacy! They would have received some sound, practical advice. After all, Nepal lies between the two emerging global superpowers, India and China, and yet not a word was mentioned in the entire NRNA meeting of working with our immediate neighbors to develop Nepal through trilateral cooperation, given their enthusiasm to invest. That is what matters most to the majority of NRNs! Did they forget, Nepal is still among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line, according to the CIA handbook 2009? Did they realize while the meeting was being held in Kathmandu, Nepalīs unemployment rate was hovering around 49%, and Nepalis were carrying a debt of $ 3.28 billion hidden somewhere in their topis(Nepali hat)?
The truth is, encouragingly, NRNs contribute between $1.8 to 2.5 billon annually to Nepali remittances flowing from abroad. That is substantially a larger figure than what NRNA proposed on its own, yes a larger stream of NRN remittance flowing back to the country through Nepal Rastra Bank and other commercial banks in Nepal (which sit on these deposits due to the lack of investor confidence). Thus, the NRNA ought to have recognized in their 18 point declaration that Nepal, among Asia-Pacific countries, is still at the struggling end of development, weak governance and an undecided political structure, but where their "lahure" remittances continue fuelling national economic growth sans development. This, in truth, is the NRNA contribution to Nepal and how the foreign investment potential of NRNs could be utilized to benefit Nepali development.
Mr. Dev Man Hirachan who has been elected the new NRN president, is an enlightened Nepali who knows what is going on in Nepal as much as the Nepali community abroad. He is active in the travel trade business in Nepal besides being a successful working professional in Japan, his adopted country. He has also spent a lot of his time in voluntary social activities to benefit Nepal. He deserves to be President, which he became. He also understands the limitations of his two year term and the crisis in national political confidence which he must win in favor of the NRNA. However Hirachan in this limited period must work quickly to make the 18 point NRNA Kathmandu declaration implementable. After all, Kathmandu has become famous for many past declarations which were forgotten all too quickly.
These are all promising facets of a shared new Nepali vision under Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, but defied by the shenanigans of political bickering among the major parties, the continuing sluggish government approach to national growth, and, in general, cautious welcoming by the Nepal Government of the NRN commitments, which have been repeating themselves all over again in the past four years.
The question is: what next for NRNA? In the absence of national development thinking, where Nepalīs National Planning Commission does not even mention NRNs or their possible contributions, how might the NRNs be able to utilize their own resources to fill in the gaps? Absurd as it sounds, the UN in its latest Human Development Report has already juxtaposed the bottleneck to Nepali national development, it is the brewing political stalemate transformed into bundhs, hartaals, and chukka jams. Development simply is not happening, progress seems bygone, growth stymied.
However, the NRNs thought otherwise in Kathmandu last week, given their penchant for foreign experimental living and almost everything foreign. It seemed there were a few dozen success stories to boast of, and a few million dollars worth of cash being flaunted by the richest few. It was Indeed for those present with such lofty thinking, the vision qualified a unique political rejoinder: the NRNs are committed to national economic resurgence in 2009 and beyond, supposedly leaving behind the decade long civil conflict, replacing it with their foreign "josh" (enthusiasm) in helping heal the wounds of war, and narrow the poverty gap. Will the NRNs be taken seriously by the government this time? This is the big unanswered question!
Here are some dreamy propositions from the Fourth NRN meet e-mailed to me by a friend who felt a bit betrayed: an urging to all NRNs to invest in the Kathmandu-Birgunj fast-track, help in developing new hydro-electric projects and related infrastructure development especially in the rural and conflict affected regions, give a boost to food security, become active in stopping climate change in Nepal, etc. The NRNA aims to establish a fund of Rs. 100 million hopefully by next year, since the association is not yet registered in Nepal! Some of the NRNs who work in foreign projects abroad cleverly inserted a phrase that their expertise as NRNs be utilized in Nepali projects.
What NRNA must seriously reckon with towards the end of 2009, is that Nepal already faces a crisis of economic expectations. Inflation is unchecked, the average Nepali in Kathmandu cannot sustain a family of four on double income, nearly one third of the population is living below the poverty line, yet there is talk of revamping economic diplomacy as a new tool in Nepali development. It would have been suggestible, that the NRN wallas before organizing the Kathmandu meet, contacted Nepalīs professional corps of diplomats at Nep[al's Foreign Ministry on how their vision could be sustained in the long run as part of Nepali foreign and economic policy, or rather diplomacy! They would have received some sound, practical advice. After all, Nepal lies between the two emerging global superpowers, India and China, and yet not a word was mentioned in the entire NRNA meeting of working with our immediate neighbors to develop Nepal through trilateral cooperation, given their enthusiasm to invest. That is what matters most to the majority of NRNs! Did they forget, Nepal is still among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line, according to the CIA handbook 2009? Did they realize while the meeting was being held in Kathmandu, Nepalīs unemployment rate was hovering around 49%, and Nepalis were carrying a debt of $ 3.28 billion hidden somewhere in their topis(Nepali hat)?
The truth is, encouragingly, NRNs contribute between $1.8 to 2.5 billon annually to Nepali remittances flowing from abroad. That is substantially a larger figure than what NRNA proposed on its own, yes a larger stream of NRN remittance flowing back to the country through Nepal Rastra Bank and other commercial banks in Nepal (which sit on these deposits due to the lack of investor confidence). Thus, the NRNA ought to have recognized in their 18 point declaration that Nepal, among Asia-Pacific countries, is still at the struggling end of development, weak governance and an undecided political structure, but where their "lahure" remittances continue fuelling national economic growth sans development. This, in truth, is the NRNA contribution to Nepal and how the foreign investment potential of NRNs could be utilized to benefit Nepali development.
Mr. Dev Man Hirachan who has been elected the new NRN president, is an enlightened Nepali who knows what is going on in Nepal as much as the Nepali community abroad. He is active in the travel trade business in Nepal besides being a successful working professional in Japan, his adopted country. He has also spent a lot of his time in voluntary social activities to benefit Nepal. He deserves to be President, which he became. He also understands the limitations of his two year term and the crisis in national political confidence which he must win in favor of the NRNA. However Hirachan in this limited period must work quickly to make the 18 point NRNA Kathmandu declaration implementable. After all, Kathmandu has become famous for many past declarations which were forgotten all too quickly.
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