China assures assistance for Nepal power projects

Kathmandu: China is positive about providing US$ 187 million for building the 61-MW Upper Trishuli and 44-MW Upper Trishuli 3 'B' projects that will sell electricity in the Nepalese market.

The money is part of a US $ 200 million concessional credit committed to Nepal by China's state-owned Export-Import (EXIM) Bank in September 2006.

A Finance Ministry source said that the nine-member Chinese delegation that visited Nepal this week under the leadership of China's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs He Yafei assured Nepalese authorities that China's Commerce Ministry would be told 'categorically' to provide US $ 125 million for building the Upper Trishuli and US $ 62 million for the Upper Trishuli 3 'B'.