KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives has passed a proposal to consider the Anti-Money Laundering Prevention (Third Amendment) Bill, 2026, following its introduction by Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle.

Responding to lawmakers during the theoretical discussion, Minister Wagle expressed a firm commitment to removing Nepal from the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” within the next 18 to 24 months.

He emphasized that removing the country from both the European Union’s aviation safety blacklist and the financial transparency grey list remains the government’s highest priority.

Addressing concerns regarding potential political misuse of the law, the Finance Minister clarified that money laundering charges cannot be filed arbitrarily, as they strictly require a proven underlying “predicate offense” such as corruption or smuggling to proceed.