Submit your Article

A meeting of the House of Representatives called for today has been postponed till 11 am on March 30.

A notice issued today by the General-Secretary of the Federal Parliament reads that today's meeting called for 11 am was rescheduled for 1:15 pm, but postponed till Sunday citing a special reason.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire scheduled the time for the next meeting as per the House of Representatives Regulations, 2079 BS.

Interest rates on bank loans have been steadily declining over the past few months with banks, flush with loanable funds, not getting sufficient demands for credit.

Despite a gradual improvement in credit disbursement, the base rate—the minimum interest rate used to determine loan pricing—has continued to drop. According to the Nepal Bankers’ Association, commercial banks disbursed Rs 4,850bn in loans over the first eight months of the current fiscal year (mid-July to mid-March), marking a 6.12 percent increase. As of mid-July last year, total outstanding loans stood at Rs 4,570bn. Nepal introduced the base rate system in the fiscal year 2012-13 to enhance transparency in interest rate determination. It includes clearly identifiable cost components, ensuring competitive and fair loan pricing.

The average base rate of commercial banks for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) has dropped to 6.48 percent from 6.62 percent in the previous month (mid-February to mid-March). Four banks now have base rates below six percent, with Standard Chartered Bank offering the lowest at 5.03 percent. Rastriya Banijya Bank follows at 5.28 percent, while Everest Bank and Nepal Bank stand at 5.46 percent and 5.96 percent, respectively. NIC Asia has the highest base rate at 7.41 percent, while the base rates of 14 Class ‘A’ banks remain below seven percent. Prime Commercial Bank Ltd is the only other institution with a rate above seven percent.

All commercial banks reduced their base rates for Chaitra (March 14-April 13). Machhapuchhre Bank saw the sharpest cut (0.22 percent), lowering its rate from 6.9 percent to 6.68 percent, while Citizens Bank International made the smallest adjustment (0.06 percent), reducing its rate from 7.01 percent to 6.95 percent.

The decline in base rates is driven by surplus liquidity in the banking system, which has also led to a rapid reduction in deposit interest rates. Since loan interest rates are calculated by adding a premium to the base rate, the drop has made borrowing cheaper.

Despite lower interest rates, loan demand remains weak, leaving banks with over Rs 600bn in surplus investable funds. To attract borrowers, many are offering loans with minimal premium charges. Meanwhile, deposits grew by 4.9 percent to Rs 6,037bn in eight months—up from Rs 5,754bn in mid-July last year.

Pro-monarchy protestors hurled stones at the office in Annapurna Post in Tinkune on Friday.

They started throwing stones at the office of Annapurna Post after police dispersed them from Tinkune.

Later, they vandalized and set ablaze a house in Tinkune.

A clash ensued after police intercepted the protesters from crossing the prohibited area. Security personnel also fired teargas shells to take the situation under control.

Some pro-monarchy supporters were injured in a clash with security personnel at Tinkune.

The clash ensued after the royalists tried to cross the prohibited area.

Meanwhile, police have fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob and take the situation under control.

After police fired teargas canisters, the protesters have starting pelting stones at the security personnel.

Tension ran high in Tinkune after the royalists tried to cross the prohibited area.

Security personnel fired tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters and to take the situation under control.

Police have barred the entry of pro-monarchy supporters from Tinkune Bridge to Baneshwor.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which has been advocating for the reinstatement of monarchy, has staged a demonstration today. Durga Prasain is leading the protest.

A massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, according to the US Geological Survey.

The tremor happened around 12:50 p.m. local time, 16 kilometers (10 miles) north northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar, CNN reported.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), an aftershock of 6.4 magnitude struck the region roughly 12 minutes after the original quake. There were no immediate reports of damage in Myanmar, which has been in a bloody civil war since 2021, according to CNN.

Residents of neighboring Thailand's capital, Bangkok, flooded out of high-rise buildings. Witnesses reported that the vibrations were strong enough to send water spilling out of pools.

Nepal Police have tightened the security in view of two different mass rallies scheduled today in Kathmandu Valley.

Spokesperson at the Nepal Police Headquarters, Deputy Inspector General Dinesh Kumar Acharya said that security has been tightened and made effective at the different places where rallies would be taken out and protest assembly is scheduled.

A large number of security personnel have been deputed at main thoroughfares of the Kathmandu Valley and other security personnel are kept on ready position to curb any untoward incident.

The Socialist Front Nepal has been organizing an assembly at Exhibition Road in support of the republic while the group in favor of monarchy is holding another rally and mass assembly at Tinkune today. 

People in favor of republic and monarchy have started gathering at their determined places, taking out rally from different places of the Valley.

Vehicles have been barred from plying the roads at Tinkune and Baneshwor.

The road from Ratnapark to Bhadrakali, Exhibition Road, Bhrikutimandap has been completely shut, disrupting the traffic.

Traffic went haywire in various places of Kathmandu after the Socialist Front built a stage on the main road in Bhrikutimandap.

The government has taken a significant step toward fostering Nepal’s startup ecosystem by amending the Industrial Enterprise Regulation. The revision, among others, introduces a legal definition for startups, establishing a structured framework to support their growth.

Under the new provisions, businesses older than 10 years or with annual transactions exceeding Rs 150m will no longer qualify as startups. The revised regulations also require startups to commence operations within one year of registration and to notify authorities accordingly.

According to the regulations, a startup’s registration will be automatically revoked under three conditions: when it surpasses the 10-year threshold, if its annual turnover exceeds Rs 150m, or if its registration is canceled for any other reason. Authorities are required to update their records and notify affected businesses within seven days of such changes. However, losing startup status will not prevent companies from continuing their regular operations.

To further support startups, the government plans to establish a Startup Promotion Center to strengthen the ecosystem.

Nepal’s startup landscape has long struggled with inconsistent policies and unfulfilled government commitments. Past initiatives, often stalled at the planning stage, have eroded trust among entrepreneurs.

Additionally, external shocks such as the 2015 earthquakes, India’s trade embargo, and the Covid-19 pandemic have hindered growth. Despite these challenges, the ecosystem has evolved over the past decade, democratizing entrepreneurship through improved access to capital, networks and knowledge.

The rise of alternative investments—such as private equity and venture capital—alongside accelerators and incubators has also supported the sector’s expansion.

Even though the government has announced plans to promote startups since as early as 2015, they have not been effective. In 2015/16, the government announced a Rs 500m fund, followed by a Rs 5m subsidy in 2019/20. However, these programs were never implemented.

Similarly, an interest-subsidy program announced in 2021 failed to take off. In 2023/24, a loan program launched with the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute and Rastriya Banijya Bank offered up to Rs 2.5 million at 3 percent interest, but only 165 of 1,658 applicants received funding. For 2024/25, the government has allocated Rs 1bn, targeting 600 startups.

Despite these setbacks, Nepal’s startup ecosystem has demonstrated remarkable growth, particularly in technology, agriculture, tourism, fintech, and e-commerce sectors. While still in its early stages, the sector holds significant potential with the right policy support and investment.

The government has pledged to enhance the legal framework and establish entrepreneurship development centers to foster sustainable growth in the startup landscape.

On a positive note, increasing mobile internet access and growing youth entrepreneurship are fostering new opportunities in the digital economy.