MCC Nepal agreement is the most popular topic today in Nepal. Moreover, it becomes a debating topic as it connects national level interest and diplomatic relations.
In 2004, the US Congress approved for the establishment of the MCC. Firstly, US established the MCC as an independent bilateral foreign aid agency. The main objective of its formation was to reduce poverty by providing assistance to low-income and lower-middle-income countries. And, they decided to select countries through competition.
Nepal met 16 out of 20 policy indicators. As a result, Nepal became the first country in South Asia to qualify for the competition. In August 2017, Board approved a $500 million assists to Nepal.for the improvement of energy and road infrastructures.
Why is this topic debated?
In fact, there is an old debate whether MCC is a part of America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy or not. Some leaders of Nepal claims it is and some claims it is not. Despite all these claims, the dispute over MCC gained height after the visit of David J Ranz, assistant secretary for South Asia at US State Department. In his visit last year, he said that the MCC was an important part of Indo-Pacific Strategy. Now, many leaders are demanding for the clarification about MCC.
Many people say that the MCC is a US counter move against China’s Belt Road Initiative ( BRI ) in Nepal. Even those in favour of the MCC say Nepal should not have accepted the terms about ratification from Parliament. In addition, India’s prior approval for the 400KVa transmission line is another disputed issue. Whole country is discussing about MCC with different views. Finally, it is the duty of us to take a wise step.
What do you think about MCC? Please let us know in comments.
