KATHMANDU: Nepal News presents today’s snapshot of Nepal’s economic activities. Get quick updates on major market movements, policy shifts, and financial developments shaping the economy of Nepal. Here are the key economic highlights for today:

NRB Proposes Mandatory Whistleblower System

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) introduced a structural regulatory amendment package to mandate a secure internal whistleblower setup across active banking and financial networks. The proposed updates within the official Employee Service Regulations draft order bank financial administrations to build operational frameworks where personnel can securely flag corruption, financial fraud, internal abuse of power, and administrative misconduct. The guidelines strictly prohibit any workplace discrimination, institutional intimidation, or punitive actions against reporting staff while ensuring data confidentiality. If employees fail to report high-level financial misconduct despite having direct knowledge, bank regulators will treat the internal oversight as an explicit code of conduct violation.

NEPSE falls 5.06 points, with Rs 3.414 Billion Turnover

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) dropped by 5.06 points on Thursday, closing at 2,700.47 as trading remained volatile. Turnover fell to Rs 3.414 billion from Rs 3.637 billion the previous day. Of 347 listed companies, 181 declined while 77 gained. Most sector indices fell, including investment, hotels, hydropower, and insurance groups, while microfinance and mutual funds saw slight gains. Sensitive indices also declined. Market activity has remained weak throughout the week with continuous fluctuations and falling volume.

Nepal Power Export Expansion Stalls Over India Talks Delay

Nepal’s plan to export an additional 20 MW of electricity to Bangladesh has stalled due to delays in the Nepal-India energy secretary-level Joint Steering Committee meeting, pending since February 2025. While Nepal continues exporting around 1,200 MW to India and 40 MW to Bangladesh, expansion and infrastructure approvals remain frozen. The delay has also affected the Chameliya-Jauljibi transmission line DPR process. Officials say lack of high-level coordination is slowing regional grid integration and limiting South Asian energy trade expansion.

Indian Blockade Shuts Eastern Tea Factories, 60K Workers Unemployed

An unannounced Indian import ban on Nepali tea caused the complete shutdown of 56 factories in Ilam since June 15, followed by 30 factories and 24 plantations in Jhapa on Thursday. The Nepal Tea Association halted industrial processing after full warehouses caused severe operational deadlocks. The trade freeze threatens an export market worth over Rs 5 billion out of Jhapa’s annual Rs 12 billion to Rs 14 billion tea economy, directly endangering 60,000 workers. The Ministry of Industry stated that diplomatic actions are ongoing to clear border blockades.

National Debt Trajectory Rises to Rs 2.961 Trillion

Nepal’s cumulative outstanding public debt burden reached Rs 2.961 trillion by the end of the eleventh month of the fiscal year. Financial balance sheets published by the Public Debt Management Office revealed that internal borrowing accounts for Rs 1.377 trillion, while external sovereign loans comprise Rs 1.5839 trillion. The current debt load translates to 44.87 percent of the nation’s total gross domestic product (GDP). Net national liabilities expanded by Rs 287 billion compared to the previous fiscal closing.

Economic Census Records Engagement of 1.2 Million Enterprises

The National Economic Census 2082 entered its concluding operational phase, registering data from 1,298,000 business establishments across the country. Spearheaded by the National Statistics Office, the nationwide economic tracking campaign commenced on April 15 and will conclude on June 21. The statistics bureau deployed a field force of 3,906 specialized surveyors to gather economic metrics from corporate entities, small storefronts, and manufacturing units. Bureau directors urged remaining unrecorded businesses to submit operational datasets during the final days of the campaign to ensure comprehensive national financial baseline indicators.

Minister Sunil Lamsal Outlines Rs 1.15 Trillion

Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal announced an Rs 88.33 billion allocation for an urban renewal project across 300 towns. Responding to queries in the House of Representatives, Minister Lamsal clarified that the ministry will roll out a comprehensive three-year operational plan totaling Rs 1.15 trillion in multi-year procurement tenders. The program assigns Rs 81.22 billion to build 3,000 local bridges, Rs 63 billion for 2,800 kilometers of municipality roads, and Rs 5 billion to construct 10 football stadiums, while aiming to cut standard procurement processing delays down to seven months.

Bagmati Allots Funds for Journalist Social Security and Insurance

The Bagmati Province government allocated Rs 10 million within its impending fiscal framework for the upcoming fiscal year to incorporate active independent journalists into formal social security and health insurance systems. The specialized funding pool aims to establish institutional labor safeguards and career security setups for working media professionals operating across the region. Structural data from the Federation of Nepali Journalists indicates that there are currently more than 2,500 active reporters working across the 13 constituent districts of the province. Media associations welcomed the targeted welfare budget, emphasizing that government agencies must implement transparent distribution mechanisms to benefit field reporters.

Lumbini Revenue up 12% in 11 Months

Lumbini Province recorded a 12 percent rise in internal revenue in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, reaching Rs 5.14 billion by June 8, according to Minister Dhanendra Karki. Total deposits in the provincial fund stood at Rs 26.57 billion, including federal grants and revenue sharing. The province spent Rs 17.47 billion, or 44.85 percent of its budget, with Rs 10.11 billion on capital and Rs 7.36 billion on recurrent costs. Growth slowed to 2.87 percent from 4.27 percent last year, driven by weaker agriculture and services. Electricity access reached 98.6 percent and internet penetration 80 percent.

Karnali Physical Infrastructure Ministry Receives Budget of Rs 10 Billion

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development received the largest budget share within the Karnali Province fiscal program, securing Rs 10.932 billion out of a total Rs 35.398 billion budget. The financial strategy allocates Rs 650 million toward 14 major transport corridors and Rs 367.5 million to construct 122 suspension bridges. Financial transfers to the 79 local units were increased by 20.85 percent to reach Rs 5.547 billion, strengthening local financial autonomy across remote mountain regions.

Sports Bodies Demand Audit Over Embezzled Province Assembly Grants

Sports organizations in Khotang submitted a formal memorandum to the District Administration Office on Wednesday, demanding an immediate financial investigation into misappropriated regional athletic grants. The dispute centers on Rs 800,000 dispatched by the Koshi Province Sports Development Board for the 10th National Games, of which Rs 656,000 was directly withdrawn as an advance cash sum by internal leadership. An additional Rs 144,000 was reportedly spent during a football tournament around mid-2024. Because the advanced capital was never returned to public bank accounts despite written commitments, multiple local sports groups authorized a joint petition seeking strict accountability.

Civil Hospital Expands to Regional Pokhara Facility

The Civil Service Hospital officially expanded its discounted healthcare framework to the Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara following a mutual operational treaty. Under the new regional health setup, active civil servants, retired government personnel, and their immediate dependent families can access medical care without traveling to Kathmandu. The medical arrangement provides equal access to outpatient services, emergency hospital admissions, specialized laboratory testing, and complex surgical operations under standardized institutional discount brackets. To receive these medical benefits, eligible beneficiaries must present authentic civil service health cards, current department badges, or official state pension books at the regional terminal.

Bitumen Scarcity Halts Expansion of Arniko Highway for 2 Months

Paving operations along the Dhulikhel-Khava section of the Arniko Highway completely stopped for two months due to an acute shortage of imported bitumen raw materials. The Division Road Office in Bhaktapur confirmed that while initial base layers were laid across 2.5 kilometers of the route, the final asphalt application remains blocked. The structural upgrades on the remaining 1.5 kilometers of the 4-kilometer mountain highway are stalled, forcing crews to fill potholes to manage safety. The infrastructure project is contracted to C-NA-1 Kali JV under an Rs 315.6 million tender agreement slated for completion by mid-January 2027.

Commercial Business Registrations Double Across Bara

Data compiled by the District Economic Census Office revealed that active commercial enterprises in Bara doubled over the past seven years. Field inventories executed for the National Economic Census 2026 documented 21,074 operating business setups across the district’s 16 local units. This shows a massive expansion compared to the 11,449 firms recorded during the first census in 2018. A team of 66 surveyors and nine supervisors tracked both registered and unregistered entities, including factories, hotels, and private schools. Local trade groups attributed this growth to industrial attractions near Special Economic Zones and dry port customs infrastructure.

Bharatpur Annuls Registrations of 29 Cooperatives

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City officially canceled the operating licenses of 29 specialized cooperative societies across municipal borders. The regulatory intervention targeted non-functional agricultural, dairy, and bee-keeping credit groups that failed to comply with statutory legal frameworks. According to municipal microfinance tracking records, these entities repeatedly failed to upload annual financial balance sheets onto the Cooperative Department’s online management database, skipped mandatory independent book audits, and neglected to organize annual general shareholder meetings. Following the mass cancellation of these underperforming entities, the total number of operational registered cooperatives within the metropolitan city dropped from 363 down to 334.

Chitwan National Park Sees Rise in Domestic Tourists

Domestic tourist arrivals at Chitwan National Park have increased sharply following the government’s two-day weekend policy. By mid-June, 48,598 Nepali visitors entered the park, up from 31,577 last year. Jeep safaris and wildlife viewing remain the main attractions. Officials say the trend reflects growing internal tourism, supported by easier travel time and weekend availability.

Makawanpur Shuts 40 Unregistered Pharmacies

Authorities in Makawanpur have shut down 40 pharmacies for operating without renewing mandatory registrations. The District Administration Office said the action included general, veterinary, and Ayurvedic pharmacies that failed to meet the Department of Drug Administration deadlines. Officials said the move is part of regulatory enforcement to ensure compliance with pharmaceutical and public health laws.

Nepalgunj’s Arrears Reach Rs 100 Million: Auditor General Report

The Auditor General’s report revealed fiscal irregularities totaling over Rs 20 million within the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City. Audit teams flagged Rs 3.8 million in unauthorized payments made outside of approved budget lines and Rs 8.1 million spent buying office electronics for external federal offices. The report also rejected Rs 325,000 distributed as monitoring allowances and Rs 5.6 million in fragmented procurement orders designed to bypass competitive bidding. The city’s total cumulative irregularities reached Rs 106.3 million for the audited fiscal period.

Cold Storage Idle, Farmers Face Losses in Kanchanpur

Farmers in Dodhara Chandani Municipality, Kanchanpur, are suffering losses as a Rs 600,000 cold storage unit remains unused due to lack of three-phase electricity. Built by the Sudurpashchim Provincial Government in 2022/23, the facility has never operated, leading to rotting vegetables like potatoes and onions. Farmers report price instability and post-harvest losses despite increased commercial farming. Authorities have failed to resolve the power connection issue, limiting agricultural productivity and storage capacity in the area.

Technical Snag Forced Buddha Air Flight Back to Kathmandu Today

A Buddha Air commercial flight operating from Kathmandu toward Biratnagar was forced to make an emergency return turnaround to the capital following a technical malfunction. Flight number 707 departed the runway at approximately 1:00 PM on Thursday before pilots noticed structural or mechanical system issues midway through the flight path. Flight operations command initiated standard safety protocols, safely landing the aircraft back at the Tribhuvan International Airport to protect all onboard. Airline management confirmed that all stranded passengers were immediately transferred onto an alternate aircraft and dispatched to their original destination to resume transit schedules without further incident.

FNCCI Opposes Power Cuts at 700 Factories Over Lease Fee Dispute

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) opposed administrative directives issued by Industrial Districts Management Limited to disconnect electricity lines across 700 factories. The utilities dispute stems from retroactive land lease fee increases, an issue currently pending review before the Supreme Court after the management company filed appeals. FNCCI stated that cutting off power grids with only a seven-day notice violates legal norms and disrupts an already fragile economy. The commercial federation urged the Ministry of Industry to intervene immediately and halt factory shutdowns, offering to act as a neutral mediator to resolve lease rates.

Gold Traded at Rs 297,200, Silver at Rs 4,945 Today

The price of gold and silver declined in the market on Thursday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, gold fell by Rs 100 per tola (11.66 grams) to Rs 297,200, down from Rs 297,300 on Wednesday. Similarly, silver also dropped by Rs 35 per tola to Rs 4,945, compared to Rs 4,980 on the previous trading day.