KATHMANDU: In a significant move to address pressing social and administrative issues, the Government of Nepal has constituted a high-level talks team to negotiate with victims of loan sharking, also known as predatory or unfair financial transactions.

Formed during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting as part of seven major decisions, the specialized negotiation panel will be led by Pushkar Sapkota, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

The team will also comprise joint secretaries from the Ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Land Management, and Federal Affairs to directly address the victims’ demands and seek a sustainable resolution.

Parallel to this social justice initiative, the executive body greenlit the Nepal Rastra Bank to mint newly designed coins in denominations of one and two rupees.

On the international front, the government formally accepted a grant of USD 1.81 million from the South Korean government. This financial assistance is slated for the establishment and implementation of the Nepal Law Information Pilot System, aimed at upgrading the country’s legal information infrastructure.

On the administrative and environmental front, the Cabinet cleared a pathway to expedite infrastructure development by authorizing relevant ministries to approve the removal of additional trees and utility poles in protected national forest areas, provided all standard legal procedures are strictly met.

Furthermore, the meeting approved organizational restructuring and staffing quotas across various ministries, endorsed the ‘Policy Research Institute Development Committee (Formation) (First Amendment) Order, 2026’, and sanctioned updated management regulations to streamline the service terms of contract-based government employees.