Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The World Bank Group aims to make Nepal available $2.7 billion to implement its new Country Partnership Framework (CPF), which prioritizes job creation and resilience.
According to the World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors held a discussion on the new seven-year partnership framework (2025-20231) last week. The new CPF focuses on the fundamentals of job creation and building resilience to natural disasters, including those linked to climate change, it added.
Commenting on the new partnership framework, the World Bank Country Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, said creating jobs is not just at the heart of the World Bank mission, but is also the lifeline that can drive Nepal’s sustainable and resilient growth. “The new CPF builds on more than 60 years of partnership between the World Bank Group and Nepal and will leverage development partner collaboration and private sector solutions to drive growth, job creation and investments.”
The World Bank will prioritize policy reform for growth, tourism, digital connectivity and integrated urban development as engines of growth and job creation in the immediate term. This will include creating a more investment-friendly environment with reforms that enable private sector-driven growth and investment; enhancing digital connectivity and access to digital government services for better productivity, governance, and service delivery; and improving the competitiveness and services of urban centers and secondary cities to unlock their potential as tourist and investment destinations.
Imad N Fakhoury, regional director for South Asia at IFC, said the World Bank Group supports Nepal in creating more and better jobs, bolstering disaster preparedness, and contributing to a sustainable future by mobilizing domestic and international private capital by promoting public-private partnerships and enhancing institutional capacity. “The World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework will guide our efforts in advancing reforms that will unlock private sector investment and strengthen the business environment to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people of Nepal,” Fakhoury added.
The World Bank Group will help strengthen the accountability and effectiveness of public sector institutions to improve the public sector’s capacity to deliver results for Nepal and its people.
Likewise, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), another member of the World Bank Group, intends to support Nepal’s development goals by providing political risk insurance and leveraging other guarantee instruments through the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform. “By mitigating investment risks, MIGA aims to attract private sector investments that are crucial for creating jobs and strengthening economic resilience,” Şebnem Erol Madan, Director for Economics and Sustainability of MIGA, said.
The CPF is based on consultations with stakeholders across all seven provinces, and the government’s 16th Plan.
