Uttam Maharjan

The ninth NRN (Non-Resident Nepali) Conference was held in Kathmandu from October 15 to 17. The Conference was inaugurated by President Vidya Devi Bhandari. During the inaugural ceremony, the President urged the delegates taking part in the conference to invest in Nepal both individually and collectively. In fact, the NRNs are already investing in various sectors such as banking, hotels, tourism and hydropower. What the government wants is to increase and diversify their investments in Nepal.
There are about seven million NRNs scattered all over the world. However, Nepalis with foreign nationality living within the SAARC region are not considered NRNs. The overwhelming number of NRNs living in foreign countries indicates that they have left Nepal because there are very few opportunities to live a dignified life here. So to improve their livelihoods, they have emigrated abroad and are living there doing business or engaged in other occupations or being in employment of one kind or the other.
The NRNs are rich in knowledge, knowhow, skills, expertise, experiences, capital and so on. Equipped with these resources, they can easily make investments in Nepal in their motherland. Their motto is 'For Nepali by Nepali', which goes on to show their love for Nepal.
The government and the private sector are desirous of working with the NRNs. The government wants them to invest in the infrastructure sector as Nepal has various goals to fulfil. The country intends to promote itself to the status of developing country by 2022 and to become a middle-income country by 2030 AD. Besides, the country has to fulfil the sustainable development goals by the same year. The present government is embarking upon various development endeavours such as hydropower, railways, waterways, tunnels and airports. A huge amount will be required to fulfil these ambitious projects. So the NRNs can contribute their might to such projects.
However, the NRNs are not satisfied with the investment environment obtaining in Nepal although there is no political instability and the government has made reforms in investment-related laws, policies and procedures. They assert that they are ready to invest in Nepal but they have demanded policy-level reforms so as to create an enabling environment for investment. The government should, therefore, hold negotiations with the NRNs in this regard. It should also work towards changing the administrative mechanism and enhancing institutional capacity to attract investments from them. The NRNA has, however, assured the government that an investment of Rs. 12 billion will be invested in Nepal. With the improvement in the investment environment, the investments from the NRNs could increase further.
The NRNs, although they are living abroad, can contribute to the prosperity of Nepal. They can also play a catalytic role in making various national campaigns of the country a success. A case in point is the government's Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 campaign. The NRNs can publicise the campaign in their countries of residence and persuade the people living there to visit Nepal. The VNY 2020 campaign aims to bring in two million tourists from all over the world. The government has made the campaign a matter of prestige.
There are NRNs in 87 countries but there are NRN associations in 78 countries only. Further, the associations have not been able to accommodate all the NRNs. It is believed that less than ten per cent of the NRNs are associated with such associations.
The government has recognised the NRN Association (NRNA), which was established on October 11, 2003, by giving it legal status through formulating the NRN Act, 2064. Within the Association, there are international and national coordination councils. The NRNs believe in the motto 'Once a Nepali, always a Nepali'. This lofty motto indubitably shows their love for Nepal and Nepalis.
The main goals of the NRNA are to promote and protect the rights and interests of Nepalis living abroad; to establish a global network and a common platform of NRNs; to attract investments from NRNs for the economic and social development of Nepal; to promote tourism and preserve the culture and heritages of Nepal in the global arena; and to harness the knowledge, skills, capital and other resources of NRNs for the development of Nepal.
The NRNA is a non-profit organisation legally recognised by the government. It is a neutral organisation aimed at enhancing the welfare of NRNs and Nepalis alike. It is, however, alleged that the NRNA is highly politicised. Upendra Mahato, the Founding President, boycotted the inaugural session as well as the elections for a new leadership though the NRN global assembly by alleging that there was high politicisation in the NRN movement. On the other hand, the NRNs are accused of making publicity stunts rather than making investments in Nepal. Also, in the elections, some political parties were allegedly involved in supporting the candidates for the top position of President. In fact, the elections had to be held amid controversies, pandemonium and political interference. Such activities are highly undesirable and unfortunate. The newly elected President of the NRNA, Kumar Panta, has gone as far as to say, perhaps due to NRNA’s politicisation, that NRNA will not hold general assemblies in Nepal in future.
Anyway, the NRNs, or their parents or grandparents, were once Nepalis. Most of them have left Nepal out of compulsion. Wherever they are and what nationality they hold, they should have love for Nepal. They can express their love for the motherland by contributing from their side to the development of Nepal in whatever way they can. The government should also create an investment-friendly environment for them so that they can be mobilised as development partners.

(Former banker, Maharjan has been regularly writing on contemporary issues for this daily since 2000. He can be reached at uttam.maharjan1964@gmail.com)