Sachin K Pokhrel

Pokhara, June 22                                                                                                                  

The highly anticipated signing ceremony which introduced the largest online transaction application that is WeChat was held in Pokhara on Thursday. The Program was attended by the Chinese ambassador to Nepal Mr. Chen Song with other dignitaries like the Mayor of Pokhara Dhana Raj Acharya, the executive director of Nepal Rastra Bank, the CEO of NMB Bank followed by many other guests. The event marked the partnership between WeChat and the NMB Bank of Nepal.

The ceremony was hosted by Ayusha Karki, it started with offerings by the CEO of the bank to the Ambassador which was followed by the speech of Mr. Sunil Kc (CEO of NMB bank)where he talked about how the application will offer convenient service to the people traveling from China and the people of Nepal too, he further talks about the achievements of the bank and how the bank was named the bank of the year in 2021, he stresses on the fact that they aspire to be sustainable. Followed by the CEO, the speeches were then presented by Mr. Durga Ram Puri and later by the Executive of the Nepal Rashtriya Bank Mr Gunakar Bhatta where he talks about how the application is used by 1.2 billion people around the globe and how the introduction of the app will improve the remittances and the tourism situation in Nepal. The program then was addressed by the Mayor of Pokhara Mr. Dhana Raj Acharya, who thanked the bank for their cooperation and later talked about how he wants to create a “digital Pokhara”, he talks about how the app is important for the Chinese tourist to have a convenient stay in Nepal. At the end of the mayor’s speech, the CEO of the Nepal tourism board sheds light on why the app is important. At last, the Ambassador Mr. Chen Song talks about how the app is an engine for new economic development and towards the closeness of friendship between the two countries. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Sudesh Upadhaya who is the deputy chief executive officer of NMB bank, and later the first transaction was done by the ambassador through a scanner as a donation for the conservation of Fewa Lake.

The ceremony surely marks a historic step towards digitalization in the country as the application will benefit the tourist as well as the people of Nepal. The banks can finally keep track of the money used by tourists and see how much the country is being benefitted through tourism. This also is a hugestep towards a stronger friendship between China and Nepal.