KATHMANDU: Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel has said the government’s economic policies are primarily responsible for the country’s stagnant economy.

Speaking as chief guest at a policy dialogue on “The Role of Nepal Rastra Bank in Reviving the Economy” organized by the Institute for Strategic and Socio-Economic Research (ISSR) at Pavilion Hall, Durbarmarg, Poudel remarked, “I cannot give a big push through monetary policy alone.”

Poudel argued that the central bank is less accountable for current economic problems than the government itself.

He pointed to four major issues caused by government policy: the tendency to increase public debt without corresponding growth in revenue, lack of quality assurance and returns from infrastructure investment, the increasing outflow of population from the country, and wage growth not based on domestic production.

The governor, appointed under a powerful coalition government of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, also questioned the future of Nepal’s remittance-dependent economy.

He warned that global challenges—such as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies and artificial intelligence attracting capital elsewhere—are adding new complexities to the world economy.