KATHMANDU: Welcome to Nepal News’ Evening Economic Brief—your go-to source on key financial updates in Nepal. Stay informed with concise insights on market trends, economic indicators, and policy shifts. Here are today’s top economic news highlights.

NEPSE Index Edges Up by 0.85 Points Amid Mixed Weekly Trends: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index rose modestly by 0.85 points on Tuesday, closing at 2,675.62, following a decline of 2.97 points on Monday when it had dropped to 2,677 points. Similarly, the Sensitive Index increased by 0.87 points, while the Float Index dipped slightly by 0.1 points. The Sensitive Float Index, however, rose by 0.30 points. Tuesday’s trading session recorded a turnover of approximately 143 million shares across 318 companies, with a total transaction value of about NPR 6.53 billion, slightly lower than Monday’s turnover of NPR 7.58 billion.

Finance Minister Briefs President on Upcoming Budget: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel briefed President Ram Chandra Paudel on the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 budget. As per constitutional provisions, the budget will be presented on Jestha 15 (May 29). The President’s private secretariat confirmed that Finance Minister Paudel visited the presidential residence, Shital Niwas, on Tuesday for the briefing.

Supreme Court Petition Filed Against Governor Biswo Nath Poudel: A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Nath Poudel. On Tuesday, advocates Bishal Thapa, Prativa Upreti, and Anantaraj Luintel filed the petition demanding the annulment of Poudel’s appointment. The petition claims that Poudel was appointed without fulfilling the expertise criteria mandated by the Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2058. It also argues that the recommendation, appointment, and oath of office were unlawful.

Government to Continue Subsidized Loan Program in FY 2082/83 Budget: The government has decided to continue the subsidized loan program with certain refinements in the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 budget. Originally launched with the goals of increasing production, promoting domestic employment, and fostering entrepreneurship, the subsidized loan program still has a large amount of unpaid interest payments. Despite this, the government plans to maintain the initiative. The interest subsidy program, started in 2075 BS, has been unofficially halted for the past two years.

Electricity Bill to Pass Within a Month, Says Minister Deepak Khadka: Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka has said that the electricity bill will be passed by Parliament within a month. Speaking at the ‘IPPAN Developers Meet 2025’ in Kathmandu, Khadka noted that despite budget constraints, the ministry is working hard to get the bill passed. He acknowledged that the bill has been presented and withdrawn multiple times in the past but said the ministry is now working around the clock to finalize it.

NEA Pays NPR 80 million to India for Electricity Imports: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has paid NPR 80 million to India for electricity imported through the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC). However, the unit rate for import/export decided at the 16th PEC meeting has not been approved by NEA’s board or the regulatory commission. According to NEA sources, NPR 80 million has already been paid, and another NPR 190 million is in the process of being settled.

Over 95,000 Taxpayers Suspended for Not Filing VAT Returns: The Inland Revenue Department has urged businesses not to transact with over 95,000 taxpayers who failed to submit their Value Added Tax (VAT) returns. A notice published on Sunday listed 95,349 suspended taxpayers. Another notice on Monday warned all concerned parties to avoid transactions with them. Earlier on Baisakh 11, the department had publicized a list of 102,232 taxpayers who had not filed returns.

Project Submissions Continue Despite Budget Deadline: Even with only three days remaining before the announcement of the fiscal year 2082/83 budget, project submissions to the National Project Bank continue. According to guidelines issued on Chaitra 1, 2081, new projects to be implemented in 2082/83 were to be submitted by the end of Chaitra. However, submissions are still ongoing one and a half months past the deadline. The National Planning Commission reports that over 9,000 projects have been entered into the bank so far.

Nepal Poised to Attract Large Foreign Investment via Electric Vehicles: Nepal has shown the potential to attract significant foreign investment through electric vehicles (EVs). With EV consumption now reaching 65 to 70 percent, it has become easier to draw foreign investors to this sector. The global trend is now focused on the “green economy,” where financial investments are directed toward environmentally sustainable sectors. The Government of Nepal has also set a target to ensure that by 2035, 95 percent of private vehicles sold will be electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

Birgunj Dry Port Customs Office Collects NPR 41.18 billion Revenue: The Birgunj Dry Port Customs Office in Sirsiya has collected NPR 41.18 billion in revenue over the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. This represents 68.58 percent of its annual revenue target. Chief Customs Officer Dhan Bahadur Baruwal said this is NPR 1.14 billion more than the revenue collected in the same period last fiscal year, reflecting a 2.85 percent increase.

Difficulties in Buying and Selling 1–9 Shares in Nepal’s Market: It is currently difficult to buy or sell between 1 and 9 shares in Nepal’s stock market. Investors who hold 1–9 shares in their demat accounts must purchase additional shares to sell them in bulk. This has forced investors to pay double or even triple broker commissions and demat fees. Such fractional shares usually accumulate from bonus issues, rights shares, or unintentional incomplete sales.

Hetauda and Udayapur Cement Industries Close Again: After reopening a month ago following a six-month shutdown, Hetauda Cement Industry Limited and Udayapur Cement Industry Limited have closed again. Hetauda was established 48 years ago and Udayapur 37 years ago. The Cabinet decision on Baisakh 15, 2082 BS, to privatize both companies has led to their complete closure. Although the official reason is said to be equipment failure and coal shortage, sources claim the closure is part of the government’s privatization push.

Gandaki Province Leads in Economic Growth Among Seven Provinces: Among Nepal’s seven provinces, Gandaki has the highest projected economic growth for the current fiscal year, according to a report from the National Statistics Office. At basic prices, Gandaki’s growth rate is estimated at 4.61 percent, and at consumer prices, 5.51 percent. Bagmati Province follows with a 5.18 percent growth rate at basic prices.

Tourism is Main Revenue Source for Ichchhakamana RM in Chitwan: Tourism is the main revenue source for Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan, the district’s only rural municipality. Located in the northern hilly region of the district, the municipality also earns from riverbed materials like gravel, stones, and sand. However, revenue from these sources has become uncertain due to ongoing disputes. Chairperson Dan Bahadur Gurung stated that tourism has become a more reliable source of income despite challenges in awarding contracts for riverbed extraction.

Lumbini to Be Developed as a Major Buddhist and Spiritual Destination: Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya has said that Lumbini is being developed as a major destination for Buddhist pilgrimage and spiritual tourism. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 3rd International Buddhist Travel Fair 2082 BS in Bhairahawa, he expressed confidence that the fair has helped promote not only Lumbini but also Nepal as a whole in this sector. The event was organized by the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, and Lumbini Development Trust.

Namaste Pay Incurs NPR 165 million Loss: Namaste Pay, operated by Nepal Digital Payment Company—a subsidiary of Nepal Telecom—has incurred a loss of NPR 165 million. The company was established to become a strong competitor in digital payment services. However, with an already crowded market, Namaste Pay has failed to meet expectations, and the government’s investment in it has yielded little return.

Indian Gamblers Flock to Casinos in Eastern Nepal via Kakarbhitta: Every day, more than a hundred Indian tourists cross the eastern border point of Kakarbhitta into Nepal, primarily to indulge in gambling and card games. Their most frequented destination is the Vegas Casino located inside the five-star Mechi Crown Hotel, along with two mini-casinos—Riyaz and Dhaka—in the surrounding area. Additionally, some casino enthusiasts travel about 20 kilometers west to the Kingsbury Hotel, where the Seven Harshish Casino operates.

Pure Energy’s Ordinary Shares Listed on NEPSE: On Monday, Pure Energy Development Company Ltd. successfully listed 8 million ordinary shares on the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). The shares carry a face value and paid-up value of NPR 100 per share, and trading is set to commence from Tuesday (Jestha 14). Earlier, the company had offered 1,195,200 shares to the general public from Chaitra 28 to Baisakh 11, with the allotment completed on Baisakh 11. The issue was managed by Nabil Investment Banking, which acted as the official issue and sales manager.

Nepalgunj Customs Sees 30% Export Growth in 10 Months: Exports through the Nepalgunj Customs Office have increased by 30.29% during the first ten months of the fiscal year 2081/82 BS. As per official data, the total export value reached NPR 2.58 billion, up from NPR 1.98 billion during the same period last fiscal year. This marks a year-on-year growth of approximately NPR 600 million in exports. Meanwhile, imports through the same customs point also increased by over 8%, from NPR 58.38 billion last year to NPR 63.28 billion this year.

Nepal to Host First-Ever ‘Waste Hackathon’ with Ncell’s Support: In a groundbreaking initiative coinciding with World Environment Day 2082 BS, Nepal will host its first-ever Waste Hackathon under the theme “Bin There, Hacked That.” The event is being organized with the support of Ncell, one of Nepal’s leading telecom providers. This national-level hackathon, scheduled for Jestha 22 at the Budhanilkantha Municipality Assembly Hall, aims to bring together tech experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, and climate activists.

Gold Price Drops Slightly in Nepali Market: On Tuesday, the price of gold in Nepal was set at NPR 190,900 per tola, according to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Associations. The price for 10 grams was NPR 163,665. On Monday, the price had been slightly higher at NPR 191,100 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver decreased to NPR 2,995 per tola from NPR 3,005 the day before.