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The Nepal Army has announced plans to invest its Soldiers’ Welfare Fund, worth approximately Rs 97 billion, in hydropower and solar energy projects. The initiative aims to channel funds currently sitting in bank deposits into productive sectors, contributing to national development through investments in renewable energy.

Speaking at the Ministry of Defence’s fourth quarterly and annual progress review meeting on Thursday, Chief of Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel said the Army will initially invest in hydropower and solar projects and assess their performance. If the pilot investment proves successful, the Soldiers’ Welfare Fund will be expanded into other development and infrastructure sectors.

“Our objective is not only to keep the fund secure but also to mobilize it in a way that contributes to national development. As a first step, we have decided to invest in hydropower and solar energy projects,” he said.

According to General Sigdel, the Soldiers’ Welfare Fund currently holds assets worth around Rs 97 billion. Of this, Rs 91 billion is held as cash deposits in banks, while approximately Rs 6 billion has already been invested in various sectors. He said the recent decline in bank interest rates has put pressure on the fund’s returns, highlighting the need to diversify into alternative investment opportunities.

With this move, the Nepal Army’s Soldiers’ Welfare Fund could become one of Nepal’s largest institutional investors in the hydropower and solar energy sectors. Energy experts say such investments could also play a significant role in mobilizing long-term domestic capital needed to support the country’s renewable energy development.

Urjasanchar