Silver Jubilee of Nepal Electricty Authority (NEA)

Nepal’s power sector is currently battling out the toughest challenge ever-encountered in the last two and a half decades of its electricity sector reforms experience. The sector is faced with an upheaval task of electrifying the nation under twin scenarios of escalating electricity demand and growing political instability. Unlike others, I preferred to label them as ‘scenarios’ than ‘problems’ because the actual problem in my view has been the immature engineering of the sector that is proving unable to cope the long-foreseen pressures of soaring demand and vagabond politics over the years.After the establishment of the vertically-integrated Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in 1984; several policies and acts followed suit to provide appropriate institutional framework for implementing electricity reforms. The Hydropower Development Policy of 1992 was supported by the Water Resources Act of 1992, the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992, the Electricity Act 1992 and the Industrial Enterprises Act. The Hydropower Policy of 1992 was subsequently amended in 2001 and led to the formulation of the Community Electricity Distribution Bye Laws in 2003. All the above mentioned acts and policies in paper addresses the acute concerns revolving the Nepalese power sector such as capacity expansion, imports reduction, private participation, losses reduction, rural electrification, environmental protection, etc. Yet, the practice has unusually departed from theory while the empirical evidence from two decades of electricity reforms has starkly defied the logic of reforms in Nepal.
To read the rest of the article published in 'The Kathmandu Post', please follow the link:http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/01/04/oped/a-silver-jubilee-to-mourn/216860/

From Cancun to Nepal

The unsettled conflict between ‘science and politics’ initiated in Copenhagen during December, 2009 seem to have finally pacified with the recently concluded Cancun Climate Summit. But, it might be too fast to conclude that ‘science’ eventually won. Apart from striking an agreement on meaningful long term global action; the summit was an ideal opportunity for climate scientists to recover the credibility damage from the controversial IPCC claims on climate change. While the former motive was at least agreed in theory, the latter intellectual scar can take some more time to heal. The Cancun Summit was not touted as a successor to the soon-expiring Kyoto Protocol unlike the Copenhagen fiasco. So, expectations were quite low in the built-up to Cancun. An agreement thus became possible by compromising on several realistic expectations related with economic, developmental and national sovereignty concerns. Nepal was one of the notable participant in Cancun as the country belongs to a group of V11 (vulnerable 11) along with Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kiribati, Barbodas, Bhutan, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. These countries are among the lowest carbon emitters but are the most vulnerable to climate change and in need of substantial funds to adapt to climate change with a long-term view of transition towards a low-carbon economy. The credibility of an accord reached devoid addressing the major concerns of the ‘vulnerable’ and many other less-developed countries may in itself be questionable and is a valid topic of discussion. Moreover, it is necessary to understand the milestones achieved in Cancun and accordingly draw perspectives on the possible social-benefits or enhancement in social welfare that a country like Nepal could realise from Cancun.
To read the rest of the article published in the Kathmandu Post,please follow the link below:
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2010/12/26/oped/good-news-from-cancun/216519/

Infrastructure Reform in Nepal

''Infrastructure reforms is always entertained much more in practice than in theory''.
Reforming nationwide infrastructures has been the talking point as an aftermath of the recently unveiled national budget. The government’s motive to reform overall infrastructure undoubtedly grasps and reflects one of the important national priorities. Infrastructures are indeed the national capital stocks. So, well implemented infrastructure reform programs from an economic perspective can engender major macroeconomic consequences in terms of higher economic growth and in raising overall employment level. A World Bank paper by Antonio Estache et al. published in 2002 in the Latin American context indicated that a 10% increase in infrastructure stocks can lead to a 1.5% increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Using the concept of proportionality to the famous ‘’Okun’s law’’ implies that a 1.5% increase in GDP can thus decrease unemployment by 0.5%. Based on these numbers, it would be an overwhelming achievement for the economy if we can invest and raise the national
capital stocks by even 10% from the current level.
To, follow the rest of the article published in the 'Kathmandu Post'; the largest selling English Daily in Nepal, please follow the link below:
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2010/12/19/oped/many-things-missing/216249/

Maoism and Electrification

Communism equals Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country". This is what Vladimir Lenin declared in 1920 as Russia was modernizing into a twentieth-century economy. The prediction has largely come true as nationwide electrification no longer remains a major issue in the former Soviet Republics today.Lenin’s declaration also underscores the importance of the energy sector in shaping the outcomes of an economy that is undergoing a systemic change. Nepal is not an exception to it. The significant contribution of power sector toward the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the strategic aspect of supply security and the high politicization of the sector are some justifying factors to perceive the power sector as being inherent within the political framework rather than being independent from politics in Nepal.
The purpose of the article is to draw parallels between the performance of the power sector under the Maoists with that under Lenin's in the Former Soviet Union.To read the rest of the article, please follow the link below:
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=25825

Waste Side Story

This is another article that was published in 'The Kathmandu Post' in February 2009. It sounds pretty funny when i read it now.Well, feel free to read it following the link below if you are interested.
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/02/04/expression/waste-side-story/178605/

Lead Kindly Light

I just found this old article of mine published in 'The Kathmandu Post' in January 14, 2009. TKP is the largest selling English Daily in Nepal. This article basically summed up the performance of the Nepalese power sector during early 2009. You may follow the link below to read the article in full:
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/01/15/expression/lead-kindly-light/175458/

Nepal-India Oil Pipeline

This is my new article titled 'The Hype on Pipe' concerning the proposal to construct a direct oil pipeline between Nepal and India. My view is that bigger economic opportunities also invite bigger economic challenges.So,the real benefits in the long run will seriously depend upon the extent to which economics will precede over vested interests and counter-productive politics. To read the article in full, please follow the link below:
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=25177