Kathmandu, May 15: The Korean
government is set to provide assistance of 9.8 million US Dollars for the
creation of green jobs in Pokhara.
The MoU for the project 'Green Job
Creation through Recycling and Up-cycling Project in Pokhara Metropolitan City
(PMC)' was signed by Ambassador of Korea to Nepal, Taeyoung Park and Finance
Secretary, Madhu Kumar Marasini at a programme organized at the Ministry of
Finance on Tuesday.
The Korean Government through the
Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will spend the assistance amount
for this project. The project will be implemented by UNDP in Pokhara in close
collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration
(MoFAGA) and Pokhara Metropolitan City.
The primary objective of this
project is to create sustainable recycling and up-cycling 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 centers for understanding recycle, up-cycle, innovation and
startups. The GVZ will showcase final products crafted from recycled and
u-cycled materials, featuring exhibition halls hosting national and
international events revolving around environmental themes.
Secretary Marasini expressed
gratitude to the Korean Government for the partnership which will enhance the
friendly relation between the two countries.
Also speaking on the occasion,
Ambassador Park highlighted opportunities of this initiative to enable
unemployed individuals with enhanced skills, establish green ventures, and
contribute to the economic growth of the country.
He further emphasized that the
project shall create next level of understanding among community people on
managing waste properly.
The ceremony also commemorated the
50 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Korea.
Expressing the similarities between
the two countries, Ambassador Park stated that Nepal is a priority country for
development cooperation and he assured to further strengthen the cooperation
and friendly ties between the two countries.
The Korean government has been
supporting Nepal through KOICA in various areas of health, vocational training,
rural development and IT since 1991. By 2023, total amount of KOICA's support
surpassed two hundred million US Dollars.