Banking News – The Government of Japan has agreed to provide grant assistance worth JPY 410 million to Nepal to support the country’s Human Resource Development Scholarship Program.

During his official visit to Nepal, Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), met with Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. During the meeting, Dr. Tanaka expressed interest in the priorities of Nepal’s new government and reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing commitment as a trusted friend and development partner. He also conveyed JICA’s willingness to continue working closely with the new administration.

In response, Finance Minister Dr. Wagle outlined the priorities set out in the recently announced national budget, emphasizing that improving public service delivery through good governance and creating a business-friendly environment for the private sector are among the government’s top priorities.

The Finance Minister also praised Japan’s significant contribution to Nepal’s physical infrastructure, social sector development, and human resource capacity building over the years.

At the Ministry of Finance, Finance Secretary Dr. Ghanshyam Upadhyaya and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru signed the Exchange of Notes for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Program.

Under the program, scholarships will be provided to Nepalese civil servants serving in the Government of Nepal to pursue Master’s and PhD degrees at prestigious universities in Japan. The initiative aims to develop a highly skilled, productive, and capable civil service workforce, while strengthening Nepal’s capacity in public policy formulation and development management.