Kumar Adhikari

Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-N)

Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal) is a Government of Nepal's agency formed by a cabinet level executive order in accordance with the Development Board Act 2013 BS (1956) in order to manage the compact/program developed by the Office of the Millennium Challenge Nepal (OMCN) in coordination with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), USA. MCA-Nepal is governed by a board chaired by the secretary of finance and managed by an executive director for day-to-day operation. The Board consists of joint secretaries of the line ministries along with the representatives from the private and civil society sectors along with the managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). In September 2017, the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a $500 million compact with the Government of Nepal. The compact aims to increase the availability and reliability of electricity, maintain road quality, and facilitate power trade between Nepal and India—helping to spur investments, accelerate economic growth, and reduce poverty. The compact consists of two projects: Electricity Transmission Project, to improve the availability and reliability of electricity supply in Nepal's power grid, thus increasing per capita electricity consumption; and Road Maintenance Project, to maintain road quality across the strategic road network and improve the administration of road maintenance, thereby preventing further road deterioration and avoiding future increases in transportation costs.