It was Dixon's first return to Nepal since June last year when she led the World Bank Group delegation to the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction (ICNR) following the earthquakes of April and May 2015. At the conference, the World Bank Group pledged about US$ 600 million in emergency assistance for post-earthquake reconstruction.Dixon held meetings with Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Minister for Fiannce Bishnu Poudel, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Yubaraj Khatiwada and Finance Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi, the multilateral donor said, issuing a statement on Friday. She also met with the CEO of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gyawali, as well as representatives of Nepal's leading development partners based in Kathmandu.
According to the statement, Dixon welcomed the recent formalization of NRA and expressed hope that the government will build on the momentum. "NRA needs all the support it can get to implement its plans in earnest and to start achieving its ambitious targets," she said, adding, "In my discussions, we explored ways in which the government could expedite the reconstruction effort and utilize aid resources, improve coordination and ensure transparency and accountability."
Dixon also discussed the economic and social impacts of the disruption in Nepal's trade. "The consequences are obviously serious," she said, adding that one cannot put a rupee figure to all the hardships the situation has caused, particularly to the poor and vulnerable, especially at a time when Nepal is trying to recover from the earthquakes.
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