Korea govt to offer $9.8 million for green jobs in Pokhara

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 15:The government of Nepal and the Republic of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project “Green Job Creation through Recycling and Upcycling Project in Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC)”.

The MoU was signed by Taeyoung Park, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, and Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. 

Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA Nepal Office, and Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, were also present in the signing ceremony.  

The Korean Government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will spend USD 9.8 million for this project, read a statement issued by KOICA on Tuesday. The project will be implemented by UNDP in Pokhara in close collaboration with MoFAGA and Pokhara Metropolitan City.

“The primary objective of this project is to create sustainable recycling and upcycling enterprises to foster green economic practices. One of the core components of this project is to establish a Green Venture Zone (GVZ), which is one of the state-of-the-art centres for understanding recycle, upcycle, innovation and startups. The GVZ will showcase final products crafted from recycled and upcycled materials, featuring exhibition halls hosting national and international events revolving around environmental themes,” read the KOICA statement. 

The project aims to establish 30 Recycle Upcycle (RU) enterprises, consequently generating numerous green jobs in Pokhara. 

During the proceedings, Secretary Marasini expressed gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea for the partnership which will enhance the friendly relation between the two countries. He further assured to fully cooperate for the successful implementation of this project.

Similarly, Ambassador Park highlighted the opportunities presented by this initiative, emphasizing how the project could enable unemployed individuals to leverage their skills, establish green ventures, and contribute to the economic development of the country.

In his remarks, Kong emphasized that the project would create the next level of understanding among community people on managing waste properly. 

He expressed optimism that the challenges confronted by Pokhara Metropolitan City regarding waste management would be substantially mitigated and underlined the uniqueness of the GVZ concept, anticipated to position Pokhara on the global stage. The ceremony also commemorated the 50 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Korea.