NATIONAL 4 - (Spotlight Weekly)

'Looking at the past ten years gives more hope'

— JAN deWITTE

JAN de WITTE, Honorary Consul of the Royal Netherlands Consulate and director of SNV Netherlands Development Organization - Nepal, spoke to KESHAB POUDEL on various issues related to development activities and the political process in Nepal. Excerpts:

How do you describe the overall aid of the Netherlands government to Nepal?

SNV as a technical assistance organization started its program in 1980. After its establishment, the Netherlands Government started funding its programs. mainly rural development programs in the Karnali zone and in Mechi Hills. In the past few years The Netherlands funded quite a number of programs, varying from to support wildlife conservation organizations like World Wildlife Fund to TshoRolpa Glacier Leakage Repair and others. Since one and a half year a move was made toward support in two sectors.

What are the areas of cooperation now?

The Netherlands Government is willing to support natural resource management, mainly bio-diversity. The second area is governance with a focus on decentralization and women rights. SNV is moreover active in the field of private sector development. We are preparing, together with the government, five-year programs in each of the sectors. Several stakeholders are also involved and a thorough analysis has been conducted. Of late, we have had a meeting with the Ministry of Finance and other concerned Ministries and it was agreed that time has come now to write an implementation strategy in order to complete the plans.

What about the Netherlands-aided biogas project?

Funded by HMG/N, the Netherlands and German governments in terms of programme management, subsidy and credit, biogas is one of the important programs in relation with rural energy supply as well as the environment by replacing firewood, dung cakes and - to a lesser extend - kerosine. Biogas has not only contributed to environmental protection but also helped to reduce the workload of especially women and girls as well as to safeguard their health. It has also helped in producing organic fertilizer. In many ways, it has proved very useful. From the very beginning the private companies have been our main partners in the dissemination of biogas in Nepal. Recently we started, together with AEPC and MoST, exploring modalities to transfer the functions of our SNV/BSP office to a Nepalese entity. We were pleased to celebrate the occasion of distributing the 50,000th plant amid a program where the crown prince was also present. I have the impression that it is very much-appreciated program in Nepal.

You said the private sector is also taking part in the program. What role are private parties playing in the biogas sector?

Private biogas construction companies recognised under the programme take care of marketing, construction and after sales service of biogas plants. There are 49 such companies working in Nepal, covering all together 64 districts.

What is the response of the people to the program?

The rural population is quite interested and demand is increasing annually. Cooking on biogas is not only easier and quicker, but also significantly reduces the exposure of smoke for the family. In addition biogas provides the light in the rural areas. A family with two-three cows or buffaloes can install a biogas plant. The biogas subsidy and credit facilities bring biogas within the reach of a large part of Nepal's rural community.

As donors have been complaining about the difficulties they face, what is your impression on the overall environment for development projects in the country?

The Nepalese Government is preparing a foreign aid policy that reflects the international discussions on ownership, sector wide approach and so on. We feel comfortable with that. Of course, several of the mechanisms that have been proposed in the policy have still to be worked out. Donors and HMG/N have to get together to make practical and clear agreements on reporting, project formulation and the responsibility for follow up. In the practical environment of the programs we support, in the Karnali, Mechi Hill and Chitwan the environment is not always conducive. Especially in remote areas the presence of the Maoist movement makes that for example issues of governance become unclear. SNV tries to work in balance with all political parties and movements, mainly ensuring that people can participate in the governance process and benefit from development efforts.

What are your observations regarding the local governance?

We have different experiences in different districts. If you make a comparison between Mechi and Karnali zone, there is more economic potential in the Mechi and thus more potential for collecting taxes and funds for the development budget. Furthermore it is not easy to find and keep the right professionals in remote places. In Karnali zone, one finds that there are no planning officers, engineers and overseers. SNV wants to build the capacity of the local bodies. But I do not know many Nepalese civil servants that voluntarily go to Humla or Jumla and work there happily, even if they have gone.

As a citizen of world's industrialized and democratic country, how do you see the democratic transition in Nepal?

Looking at the past ten years gives more gives more hope for an interesting future than the immediate past. Looking at the past 10 days I would say that parliaments are meant to play an important role in democracy. And although some action in the parliament was noticed, no sessions were held, according to the newspapers. The reason may be justified or not, but the game has not been completely played according to the rules. If there is a demand for the resignation of Prime Minister of a majority party, one has to go by the agreed rules of the parliamentary process, where everything can be decided on majority basis.

Is it easy to run the democratic institutions in the country like Nepal which just has the five-decade-old experience of process of modernization?

It will never be easy and calm in politics and in democratic institutions. In The Netherlands we have a parliamentary democracy since more than 150 years and also in these days our politicians are criticised for mistakes or corruption. The difference between Nepal and Holland may be only a matter of degree. Of course a longer tradition and an economic prosperous environment facilitate to run democratic institutions. But the domocratisation process in Nepal may go faster than it went in The Netherlands. A younger generation is coming to power and will probably benefirt from experiences elsewhere and hopefully avoid all the mistakes made somewhere else in the world.

How do you see the accountable and the local elected authorities dealing with the people's problem?

It seems as if not all authorities have the same drive towards accountability. But in many places too one notes that awareness and education among villagers is lacking and that they do not have sufficient power to call the elected bodies to task. Part of our programs is social mobilisation and education of people in making use of their rights as citizens.

Nepal is a small country in South Asia, how do you see the economic potential of Nepal?

Situated between two big neighbors, there is definitely easy access to large markets. At the same time however their manpower is not expensive and they also have potential. Economically, I would say agriculture, non-timber forest, hydropower and tourism offer most potentials. If the government makes the trade taxable, this will be more beneficial. All the illegal tree felling and trade mean that the potential; is there. Regulations and clear property arraqngements may help benefit more people from this potential. Of course, tourism is an important sector but it is a risky and very sensitive sector. Tourists will immediately stop coming if the law and order deteriorates. One needs to attract tourists to rural areas too. More income can be gained outside Kathmandu Valley, if basic conditions for tourism elsewhere are developed.

Other donors are complaining about the issues of good governance in Nepal. How do you look at it?

From a governance perspective one difficulty is that there is a central government and 75 district governments, with a huge gap in between. In each district there are facilities of education, but they are controlled from the center. Now the government proposes the regional administration but mainly for the security purpose and not for the development. There is no intermediary between different districts. The central government is very much Kathmandu valley focussed and may not able to give sufficient attention to rest of the country.