NPC Vice-Chairman: Govt likely to appoint Shanker Sharma to the post

KATHMANDU: The government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to appoint former Nepalese Ambassador to the United States, Shankar Sharma, as the new vice-chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC), the apex advisory body of the government for formulating a national vision, development policy, periodic plans and sectoral policies for overall development of the nation.

Sources at the government confirmed that Prime Minister Deuba has prioritized appointing Sharma to the top NPC post. Sharma is currently in the United States.

“Sharma has been urged to return Nepal from the top government level and leaders of the ruling party Nepali Congress. The government is likely to appoint Sharma to NPC vice-chairman post,” informed a government source.

The vice-chairman post at NPC is vacant ever since the new government was formed almost two week before.

Formerly a member of the government of Nepal, Sharma held numerous positions such as deputy chairman at the NPC (1999–2006), chief advisor in Ministry of Finance, Alternate governor of Nepal for the International Monetary Fund and senior economist in Institute of South East Asian Studies (1986–1993).

Sharma has a Masters and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Hawaii. Sharma also worked as a consultant to the Constitution Committee on “Distribution of Natural Resources, Economic Rights and Public Revenue” in helping to draft the new Constitution of Nepal.