The Government of Japan has agreed to extend a grant assistance of up tonine hundred and eighty-nine million Japanese yen (Y989,000,000), approximately nine hundred six million and nine hundred thousandNepalese rupees (NRs.906,900,000), or about ten million and five hundred thousandUS dollars (US$10,500,000)to the Government of Nepal, for the execution of theTribhuvan International Airport Modernization Project(Surveillance System) inJapan’s Fiscal Year 2012.

The Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged by Kunio TAKAHASHI,Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, andShanta Raj Subedi, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Nepal, on behalf of their respective Governments.In the meantime, Tsutomu SHIMIZU, Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Office, and Madhu Kumar Marasini, Joint Secretary of the International Economic Corporation Coordination Division of the Ministry of Finance,also signed and exchanged a separate Grant Agreement for the implementation of the said project.

On the occasion, Ambassador TAKAHASHI recalled the background of the Project and said that, earlier, the Government of Japan had extended its assistance to the Government of Nepal with 3.559 billion Japanese yen for the Project for Modernization of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu by installing a Radar System in 1994 and with 1.272 billion Japanese yen for the Project for Improvement of Existing Air Traffic Services System by improving Communication Systems in 1999. This assistance signed today is the continuation of Japan’s assistance for further strengthening aviation safety in Nepal.

Under theseNotes, the Government of Nepal will utilize the grant to purchase the products and services necessary for the installation of a Secondary Radar System for Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). An Antenna Tower and Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) System will be installed at Bhattedanda, south of the Kathmandu Valley, and another MSSR System will be installed at TIA as a replacement of the existing [Airport Surveillance Radar/Secondary Surveillance Radar]system to enhance and strengthen the present surveillance system installed under the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) extended in 1994.

The project is expected to address the need for the long awaited installation of a Secondary Radar System at TIA, which will enhance the surveillance capacity of the airport from the existing Approach control to an Area control system. With the installation of this system up to Dang in the west and entire country in the east, north and southof Nepal will be covered, making it easier for TIA Air Traffic Controllers to manage Nepal's air space more safely and efficiently. In this context, Ambassador TAKAHASHI expressed his belief that improved aviation safety in Nepal will certainly contribute to the development of tourism in Nepal.