The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has expressed its concerns over the inability of missions to collect funds relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation after the Great Earthquake.

A statement issued by the ministry stated that only 24 Nepali missions have collected funds for Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. Nepal has 29 embassies, two permanent missions (in New York and Geneva) and three consular general offices (in Lhasa, Hong Kong and Calcutta).

Some missions seem active and collecting modest amount of 0funds but others have very poor performance, said a senior MoFA official, adding that they sought clarifications for their failure to raise funds as the ministry is facing pressure to garner international support for relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

According to the ministry, 24 missions have collected Rs 550 million so far. However, missions in Washington DC, New York, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Canada, Germany, France and Belgium have not made any contribution to the relief fund.

At a time when Prime Minister’s Office and the MoFA are at loggerheads over piling pressures on these missions to report daily on funds raised, the inability of some missions has put the ministry in an awkward situation.

Meanwhile, following PMO intervention, the ministry started releasing the status of funds raised by its missions. A week ago, PM’s political adviser Subir Khanal had dispatched letters to all Nepali missions seeking daily updates on fund collection.

Published on: 30 May 2015 | The Kathmandu Post