Nepal says seven more U.S.-funded projects paused after Trump order

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal said on Monday seven more projects funded by the United States have been put on hold after President Donald Trump suspended foreign development assistance.

President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause in US foreign development assistance on the day he returned to the White House, pending assessments of efficiency and consistency with U.S. foreign policy.

The Ministry of Finance said projects in the field of education, health, agriculture and statistics that were funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and were implemented under the government’s budget had been halted for 90 days.

Three other projects - concerning strengthening of provincial and local administrations, bio-diversity and climate – that are still being designed have also been put on hold for three months, it said.

“Money for the projects that were being designed has not been received as the agreement for these programmes has not been signed yet,” a ministry statement said.

It did not give details of the funds for these projects.

Last week, the government said two major infrastructure projects funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, for the construction of a power transmission line and road improvement project had been paused for 90 days following the Trump order.

Authorities gave no details about how the cash-strapped nation, among the poorest in the world, would fund these projects if Trump does not resume the aid.

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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