Bardiya | 14 December 2025

A two-day residential training workshop on Strengthening Municipal Finance and Revenue Generation in Nepal was successfully concluded on 12–13 December 2025 under the Cities 4 Women project. The project is jointly implemented by UN-Habitat, UNOPS, and Cities Alliance, with support from the European Union and the Government of Finland.

The workshop was organized in partnership with Sundar Nepal Sanstha as the local implementation partner and was facilitated by Dr. Gopi Khanal, Urban Finance Expert at UN-Habitat. A total of 24 municipal officials (5 women and 19 men), including section and sub-section heads from Lamkichuha Municipality, Birendranagar Municipality, and Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, participated in the training.

The training-cum-workshop aimed to strengthen municipal revenue generation by enhancing the technical and institutional capacity of municipal staff. The sessions were highly interactive and emphasized peer learning through group work. Key sessions covered: introduction to the seven-step municipal planning process, linking municipal budgeting with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Local taxation systems, Revenue potential (RP) assessment and revenue forecasting, Overview of climate finance and financing SDGs at the local level, and understanding and practicing the Local Government Performance Assessment System (LGPAS).

Through hands-on group exercises, participants conducted practical municipal revenue analyses, comparing potential versus actual revenue generation. These exercises helped identify key gaps and opportunities to improve fiscal performance. Based on the group work and discussions, each participating municipality developed a Revenue Strengthening Action Plan tailored to its local context and priorities. These action plans focus on sustainable, locally generated revenues and improved financial accountability.

Participants shared that this was their first opportunity to engage in such in-depth training on municipal finance and revenue. They highlighted that the workshop significantly enhanced their capacity to perform their duties more effectively and expressed strong interest in participating in similar trainings in the future to further boost motivation and commitment.

The workshop concluded with a strong commitment from participating officers to apply the learning in practice, including integrating improved revenue strategies, action plans, and performance targets into their annual and medium-term municipal plans. Through this initiative, the Cities4Women project continues to support municipalities in strengthening inclusive, sustainable, and resilient local financing systems.