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.

Stock Market Hits 4-Month High, Daily Turnover Reaches Rs 9.68 billion: The stock market on Thursday reached its highest point in nearly four months. Compared to the previous day, the NEPSE index rose by 25.89 points to settle at 2731. This is the highest point since Falgun 28, when the index had reached 2736. Since then, the index had remained below 2730. Trading volume also saw a rise today. While Wednesday’s turnover stood at Rs 7.45 billion, Thursday’s transaction volume reached Rs 9.68 billion. The share prices of 161 companies increased, while 87 declined. Commercial banks remained the most attractive sector again on Thursday. While NEPSE rose by 0.95 percent overall, the commercial banking subgroup increased by the highest margin of 3.02 percent.

Government Spends Rs 21.73 billion on Final Day Before Account Freeze: The government has spent nearly Rs 22 billion through the budget system by the last day before government accounts freeze on July 9. On this single day alone, the government spent Rs 21.73 billion out of the allocated budget for fiscal year 2024/25. According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, this significant one-day expenditure falls under the Rs 352 billion development budget allocation for the ongoing fiscal year.

250 MW Electricity Production Halted Due to Floods: Due to floods, 250 MW of electricity production from subsidiary companies of the authority and private sector projects has come to a complete halt. There is no clarity on when these projects will resume. Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Hitendra Dev Shakya stated that electricity generation from Rasuwagadhi and Trishuli 3A projects has been suspended indefinitely. “These projects have suffered more damage than others,” he said.

NIFRA Green Bond Listed on NEPSE: Nepal Infrastructure Bank’s (NIFRA) green energy bond has been listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). On Wednesday, 5 million units of bonds priced at Rs 1,000 each were listed. NEPSE CEO Chudamani Chapagain and NIFRA CEO Krishna Bahadur Adhikari signed the listing agreement. The bonds will begin secondary market trading from Thursday.

22 Broker Firms Fail to Meet Minimum Paid-Up Capital: As the deadline nears, 22 brokerage companies still haven’t met the minimum paid-up capital requirement. The deadline for meeting the Rs 200 million minimum is mid-July. According to Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) data as of July 8, 22 broker companies have yet to meet the required capital. In August 2022, SEBON revised its regulations, dividing broker companies into three categories with different capital thresholds.

G2G Urea Fertilizer Starts Arriving in Nepal: Urea fertilizer purchased under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement has begun entering Nepal. The Nepal government directly bought the fertilizer from the Indian government instead of through a tender process. The first consignment of 2,500 tons arrived at Raxaul railway station on Tuesday from Kolkata port. From Wednesday, trucks began transporting it to the regional warehouse of the Agricultural Inputs Company in Birgunj, according to regional head Durga Prasad Pandey.

Loan Recovery Tribunal Launched for Cooperatives Sector: A solution to the loan recovery issue in Nepal’s cooperative sector has emerged with the launch of a new loan recovery tribunal. At an inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari opened the tribunal office. He urged all agencies, including the ministry and cooperative department, to cooperate and ensure speedy operations.

Nepali Migrant Workers Still Paid Below Minimum Wage: Nepali migrant workers in major labor destination countries are still working for low wages. In the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia, workers continue to be paid below Nepal’s minimum wage standard. The new wage standard set for UAE workers by Nepal’s Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security through its second amendment to the Foreign Employment Service Directive came into effect in end-June.

Koshi Province Spends Over 77% of Annual Budget: Koshi Province has spent more than 77 percent of its total annual budget in fiscal year 2024/25. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning of the province, out of the total allocated budget of Rs 35.27 billion, Rs 27.25 billion has been spent, amounting to 77.26 percent of the total. This year, capital expenditure related to development and infrastructure has surpassed administrative (operational) expenses.

Committee Formed to Assess Flood Damage in Rasuwa: A committee has been formed to collect data on damages caused by the flood in Rasuwa. The decision was made in a joint meeting of the District Security Committee and Disaster Management Committee chaired by Chief District Officer Arjun Paudel on Wednesday. A 13-member committee has been formed under the coordination of Galchi-Trishuli-Mailung-Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road project chief engineer Khadga Lal Shrestha.

Mansarovar-Bound Tourists Stranded Due to Visa Verification Delays: Tourists heading to Kailash Mansarovar are facing problems due to delays in the visa verification process. Business operators have complained that at least 2,500 tourists have been stranded in Kathmandu because the Chinese embassy is taking over 10 days for visa verification, which used to take only 3 days in the past. Due to uncertainty in the visa process, nearly 3,000 tourists are reportedly waiting in various five-star hotels in Kathmandu to begin their Mansarovar journey.

Rasuwa-Kerung Border Closure Likely to Persist After Flood Damage: The Rasuwa-Kerung border point is unlikely to reopen soon after the flood swept away the Miteri bridge and severely damaged about two kilometers of road on the Nepal side. The under-construction dry port has also been affected. Rasuwa Customs Office spokesperson Rabindra Prasad Pyakurel said, “Electricity, internet, and telephone connections have been lost, and the road network is cut off. Rescue and relief work is ongoing now, but there’s uncertainty about when trade will resume.” The Tatopani border point, another major Nepal-China trade route, is also not fully operational.

Nepal Telecom Launches Monsoon Offer with Discounts: Nepal Telecom has introduced a Monsoon Offer, effective from Thursday. The company claims the offer includes various attractive packages and services. Specially designed packages with bonuses are available for people with physical and mental disabilities. Under this, users can get a 30% discount on the Rs 699 and Rs 799 ‘Sajilo Unlimited’ packages. Customers can purchase these packages via mobile or the Telecom mobile app.

FTTH Internet Subscribers Reach 3.18 million in Nepal: There has been a significant rise in fixed broadband users in Nepal. According to the MIS report published by Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the number of Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) internet subscribers reached 3,178,637 by mid-June. This represents an increase of 75,814 compared to the previous month. In May, the number of FTTH subscribers was 3,102,823.

Flood Causes Rs 1.04 billion in Damage in Baglung’s Jaimini Municipality: Unceasing rainfall on Tuesday night caused flooding in Paiyunthanthap of Jaimini Municipality–9 in Baglung, resulting in approximately Rs 1.04 billion in damages. The flood in Kalung Khola, which flows through Paiyunthanthap-9, completely damaged the Kalung Khola Hydropower Project. Jaimini Municipality Deputy Mayor Harihar Sharma stated that the swept-away hydropower project alone incurred damages worth around Rs 200 million.

Jungle Safari Suspended in Shuklaphanta National Park: Jungle safari services in Shuklaphanta National Park have been suspended due to road damage caused by rain. Tourists began experiencing difficulties after vehicles got stuck in muddy roads. Conservation Officer Purushottam Wagle said the main safari route from the park headquarters in Majhgaun to the grasslands has been damaged, making vehicle movement and rescue difficult.

Ruila and Nuila Border Points Open in Northern Gorkha: The Ruila and Nuila border points in Chumnubri Rural Municipality–1 and Ward 7 of Gorkha district have reopened. Nuila checkpoint reopened on Tuesday (July 1), and Ruila on Saturday (July 5). According to Chinese officials, the border points have been opened temporarily through coordination with local representatives. Ruila will remain open for one month and Nuila for three months. Locals are now preparing to go shopping in the Tibetan market.

220 kV Chimkhola–Rahughat Transmission Line Testing Begins: Testing has begun on the 220 kV Chimkhola–Rahughat transmission line built to connect the electricity generated from hydropower projects in the Rahughat basin of Myagdi to the central grid. The 13-kilometer transmission line was constructed to transmit electricity from several projects including the 35 MW Chimkhola-Mangle Rahughat, 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat, 21.3 MW Thulo Khola, and 23.5 MW Upper Thulo Khola to the switchyard of the Rahughat Hydropower Project located in Galeshwar.

Global IME Bank Named Best Bank in Nepal for 2025: Global Finance Magazine Asia-Pacific has named Global IME Bank as Nepal’s Best Bank for 2025. This prestigious award is presented to top banks in the Asia-Pacific region. In its 32nd edition, Global IME Bank has received top honors from Nepal once again. “Receiving this recognition for two consecutive years reflects our strong performance, strategic focus, and dedication to customers,” said CEO Surendra Raj Regmi.

Barahsinghe Beer Producer Yak Brewing Reports Rs 1.67 billion in 10-Month Sales: Yak Brewing Company, the producer of Barahsinghe beer, posted sales exceeding Rs 1.67 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. The company had sales of Rs 1.27 billion in 2024, Rs 927 million in 2023, and Rs 972 million in 2022. Sales rose by 44% in 2024. It also recorded a 3.01% net profit for the current fiscal year.