EDITORIAL

Road to development

Roads are vital for the development of any nation. Easy access to different places by good condition roads, leads to a balanced development of all sectors. Nepal too has a highway linking the Eastern most part of the country to the Far West. This road has contributed significantly for making travel convenient to the people, increasing trade and taking other facilities to different parts of the country. However, considering the difficult geographical terrain of Nepal, there still are some districts, which are not linked to such highways by motorable roads. This disadvantage has made such districts backward and the people there are cut off from enjoying the fruits of development that others have. Yet, the government is not in a position to do much about this, as constructing roads is a very expensive matter. Furthermore, expenses do not end after the construction of a road ends. The maintenance part also is an expensive affair. In fact, even in Kathmandu itself, the authorities find it hard to keep all the roads in good condition.

At this juncture, it was encouraging to hear that His Majesty’s Government has decided to involve the private sector in constructing roads. It was revealed the other day that HMG, as per the decision taken by the then Council of Ministers on Magh 25, 2055 BS, has worked out a policy relating to the construction of roads by the private sector under the Build, Operate and Turnover (BOT) system. This system, which is used in many other countries of the world, is being adapted here for the first time. Under the BOT system, the road is constructed by the private sector and then it operates it and raises tolls to recover its cost and after a certain period the road is turned over to the government. This will take a lot of monetary pressure off the government. The government will also have more funds to divert to other priority areas. Thus, with the involvement of the private sector under the BOT system, a new chapter has been opened in expanding the country’s roads and highways, it can be hoped this will move the nation faster in its development efforts.

(Editorial in The Rising Nepal, June 20, Sunday)