सीप Launches Challenge Fund in Province 2

At a special event held on 10 May, 2019 in Birgunj, Honorable Chief Minister of Province 2, Mr. Lal Babu Raut publicly launched a Private Sector Advisory Committee, alongside his Council of Ministers, Mayors, and development partners. Aimed at enabling investment flow and economic growth in the Province, the Advisory Committee comprises of leaders from priority sectors such as agriculture, industry, ICT, finance, and remittance, who will work towards improving skills development, job creation, and migration optimization in Province 2 to meet shared goal of the Government, private sector, and Nepali youth.

The Advisory Committee meeting was followed by the launch of UKaid Skills for Employment (सीप) program’s Challenge Fund – an innovative mechanism aimed at catalyzing public private partnerships and co-investing with the private sector and (via a competitive and efficient process) to expand and strengthen collective skill building, job creation, and migration optimization efforts.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Raut remarked, “I recognize that the foremost responsibility of the State is to create an enabling environment for citizens and institutions to thrive and live a dignified life. Over the last year Province 2 Government has passed a number of much-needed policies and laws and are soon embarking on Public Private Partnerships that will enable stronger collaboration between the Government and the private sector to improve the lives of our people. Our hope is that the Advisory Committee will guide and support the Government, both Provincial and Municipal leadership, to jointly achieve socio-economic transformation through PPPs focused on strengthening skill-building, employment generation, investments, and remittance and financial management.”

“The recently launched four-year सीप program aims to broker transformational partnerships with and between the private sector and the Government of Nepal to propel growth in selected priority sectors -- agriculture, tourism, ICT, light manufacturing, and construction (hydro) -- through expanded access to quality skills training, employment generation, productive investments, and migration optimization (e.g. increase savings, loans, insurance, and investment of remittances),” added Baljit Vohra, Team Leader of the सीप program.

Today’s event builds on the first Government-Industry Conclave held in Province 2 in October 2018 at Simara under the Chief Minister’s leadership and with support from UKaid सीप. The Conclave paved the way for increased collaboration between the Government and the private sector. Following the Conclave, the Chief Minister’s office passed a Bigya Samhu Gathan Nirdesika which provides a legal framework to create a cross-sectoral Advisory Committee with business representatives from priority sectors and industries.

The private sector representatives present at the event today lauded the Provincial Government’s vision and leadership and shared several priority PPP ideas that can be taken forward in partnership with the Government and the सीप program.