English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

The Remake of a StateStudies have shown that the cost of sending money to home countryvaries between 4 per cent and 10 per cent (Orozco 2005). It plays animportant role in deciding how migrants transfer remittance - throughformal or informal channels. Nepal should make policies to ease thecost of remittance transfer. This can be done by having alliances withdifferent banks and financial institutions in host countries. Some of thebest practices from government sides are shown by countries like Mexico[National Savings and Financial Services Bank (BANSEFI)], India [State Bankof India (SBI)], Morrocco (Banques Populaires) etc.Nepal could develop alliances with different companies for transferringremittance, disseminating information about costs of remittances,benefits of using account to account transfers etc. The country could alsofacilitate opening joint account by migrants and their relative back homeand make provisions for free withdrawal of remittances.The Three Year Interim Plan has strategies on rural infrastructurereconstruction, investment plans for extending roads network andreconstruction and increased investment in physical infrastructures.These are also the objectives and needs of our state building agenda. Thegovernment could involve Nepalese living abroad in range of activitieslike development projects, cultural activities and philanthropic activitiesby connecting their network to the User Group (commonly known asUpabhogta Samooha in Nepali) community in home town. First, the usergroup community puts its need. Then the local body of the governmentstudies its feasibility and invites the diaspora to invest half of the totalcosts. Then the other half is to be provided by the government or thelocal community themselves. Local governments or communities couldcontribute not only in cash but also with labour and donations in kind,which provides jobs to local residents too.Governments of countries like El Salvador (Social Investment and LocalDevelopment Fund) and Mexico (Inciativa Ciudadana3x1) have been ableto carry many developmental activities by such associations ranging fromchanging of street lamps to building and reconstruction of parks, shoppingcentres etc. which would otherwise have been impossible.Many of Nepalese industries have closed and some are on the verge ofclosing. Nepal could encourage NRNs not only in investment but in overallmanagement of such industries letting them take the profits after payingrational tax. They could also publicise the products abroad. Similarly,two important aspects the Three Year Plan has left are mining and waste185