KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel has urged the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) to resist external pressure and focus on strengthening the capital market.

Speaking at SEBON’s 33rd anniversary on Sunday, he called for strict action against insider trading and emphasized rewarding good practices while penalizing misconduct.

Highlighting the need for capital market development, Paudel suggested introducing new financial instruments and expressed hope that the upcoming budget would include key market reforms. He also called for qualitative improvements in SEBON’s regulatory role.

SEBON Chairperson Santosh Narayan Shrestha admitted regulatory weaknesses and stressed the need to boost the board’s institutional capacity for effective oversight.