A Chinese delegation has inspected the Pokhara Regional International Airport construction site and collected feedback from the locals, today.

The delegation from the Exim Bank, China, and CAMC Engineering Co Ltd arrived in Pokhara on Wednesday to collect locals' views on the regional airport construction.

The delegation that included Deputy Director General of the Exim Bank, Zhao Liang, and Vice-Chairmen of the CAMC, Shengcheng Liv and Zhang Yun, expressed a commitment to provide loan at subsidised rate and conclude the airport construction in time, said Chairman of the Pokhara Chambers of Commerce and Industry Binda Bahadur Thapa after the discussion with the delegation.

The Chinese delegation has expressed a commitment to hand over the airport after completing all the construction works within three years of starting the project.

Speaking at the press meet, Deputy Director General Zhao said the goodwill shown by the Pokhra people for the airport construction has given the delegation an extra zeal.

The governments of Nepal and China will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) once the team returned from Pokhara and it will immediately start the construction, said Zhao.

Vice-Chairman of CAMC Engineering Corporation Ltd, the construction company, Shengcheng urged the private sector and the civil society in Pokhara to extend the necessary cooperation in construction of the airport. He said the airport will be of international standard and that they were committed to completing it on time.

Welcoming the Chinese team in the meeting, President of the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industries Bindu Kumar Thapa said that the local private sector and the civil society are ready to resolve any problems that might come up while constructing the airport. Thapa is also Coordinator of the Pokhara International Airport Construction Concerned Committee.

The government has acquired 3,106 ropanis land at local Chhinedanda 39 years back for the construction of a new airport.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, CAMC is constructing the airport at an estimated cost of US Dollars 166 million after the Exim Bank of China committed to provide loan at a low interest rate for 40 years.