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The year-on-year consumer price inflation stood at 2.77 percent in mid-May 2025 compared to 4.40 percent a year ago, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) stated in its report 'Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal (Based on Ten Months Data Ending Mid-May 2024/25)' today.  

Similarly, food and beverage inflation stood at 1.52 percent whereas nonfood and service inflation stood at 3.45 percent in the review month. During the same period in the previous year, the price indices of these groups had increased 6.41 percent and 3.09 percent, respectively.

During the review month, the year-on-year price index in rural areas increased 3.21 percent, while in urban areas, it rose 2.61 percent.

Based on provinces, in the review month, the year-on-year consumer price inflation in Koshi Province is 4.29 percent, Madhesh Province 2.81 percent, Bagmati Province 2.40 percent, Gandaki Province 2.23 percent, Lumbini Province 2.15 percent, Karnali Province 2.21 percent, and Sudurpashchim Province 3.14 percent.

In the review month, the year-on-year consumer price inflation in the Kathmandu Valley, Terai, Hill and Mountain region surged to 2.64 percent, 2.64 percent, 2.65 percent and 4.01 percent respectively.

The year-on-year wholesale price inflation stood at 3.95 percent in mid-May 2025 compared to 5.68 percent a year ago. 

The year-on-year  wholesale price of consumption goods increased 10.89 percent while intermediate goods and capital goods increased 0.10 percent and 2.73 percent respectively.

The year-on-year  wholesale price of construction material increased 2.67 percent in the review month, the report stated.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 26. 24 points to close at 2,679. 34 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 5. 57 points to close at 457. 29 points.

A total of 23,697,145-unit shares of 311 companies were traded for Rs 10. 16 billion.

Meanwhile,  ​​​​Pure Energy Limited (PURE) and Shree Investment Finance Co. Ltd. (SIFC) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Rawa Energy Development Limited (RAWA) was the top loser as its price fell by 6. 20 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 46 trillion.

The Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) is considering a new policy that would bar hydropower companies from issuing initial public offerings (IPOs) before they begin generating electricity.

According to an official at Sebon, the capital market regulator has held preliminary discussions on restricting hydropower developers from going public before starting power generation. This comes in response to growing concerns about risks posed to general investors when companies without completed projects raise funds from the public.

The recommendation to introduce such a policy originated from the High-Level Economic Reforms Advisory Commission, led by former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal. The commission suggested that the government take necessary legal measures to restrict IPOs by hydropower companies until they become operational.

The recommendation was later included in an economic reform action plan prepared by a committee headed by Chudamani Paudel, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The government formed the committee to prepare an action plan to implement the recommendations made by the Khanal-led commission.

The action plan states that the provision to prevent hydropower companies from going public before they start power generation could be implemented within two years.

Sebon has begun discussions on implementing the recommendation in line with the action plan prepared by the Paudel-led committee. Although no official decision on the timeline or the mechanism for implementing the rule has been made so far, the Sebon official said that consultations are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation to explore feasible approaches.

Currently, hydropower companies that have completed at least 65 percent of their physical construction are eligible to issue IPOs. This existing provision has faced criticism in recent years, with concerns that it exposes the public to financial risk if the projects encounter delays or fail to complete construction.

At present, 36 hydropower companies have submitted applications to Sebon, seeking approval to issue over 174.8m shares worth approximately Rs 17.89bn. The IPO applications of these companies will be processed under the existing provision until a new decision is made.

Meanwhile, the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal (IPPAN) has raised concerns that enforcing such a restriction could delay project implementation. IPPAN argues that allowing early IPO issuance enables developers to mobilize funds during the construction phase, which is often the most capital-intensive period for hydropower development.

Belauri Municipality in Kanchanpur district has decided to close all schools for two days in a bid to avoid scorching heat. The local level said the schools would remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in the wake of rising temperatures.

The decision was made considering the health of school teachers, students and employees, according to Mayor Potilal Chaudhari. The school closure will be adjusted with summer holidays. 

He added that all community and institutional schools would be closed for two days. 

It has been difficult for some days to walk outside owing to increasing temperature. People's movement is limited during the day time. The health workers also informed that the locals were complaining of nausea, conjunctivitis and fever of late. 

The Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers (OPMCM) has expressed serious concern over the deployment of staff beyond the approved quota at the Immigration Office at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). The issue has come under scrutiny following a complaint filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), alleging that the Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed more personnel than the sanctioned positions in several departments, including immigration.

According to an OPMCM source, the practice of leaving some positions vacant while overstaffing others has disrupted service delivery. The complaint to the CIAA calls for a thorough investigation and strict action against those responsible. The Prime Minister’s Office has warned that those involved could face departmental action, be issued warnings or even punished under anti-corruption laws.

In a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the OPMCM cited provisions under various laws, including Section 18(A) of the Civil Service Act 2049, which governs deputation of civil servants. Sub-section 3 of the same clause mandates that if a civil servant is deputed against the stated legal provisions, the officer responsible for the posting must repay the salary and allowances from their own pocket and face departmental action. Furthermore, Section 15 of the Governance (Management and Operation) Act 2065 requires timely decision-making, and Section 17(B) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2059 stipulates penalties for causing harm through indecision or negligence.

The Prime Minister’s Office also reminded the Home Ministry that deploying staff without adherence to the decisions of secretary-level meetings constitutes a breach of existing laws. It has issued an ultimatum to provide a full list of personnel working beyond the approved staff quota.

Additionally, the PMO has directed the Home Ministry to align staffing strictly with the sanctioned positions within seven days. “I urge you to immediately provide the list of institutions operating with excess staff and the names of such personnel, and to ensure staff deployment is strictly in accordance with the approved quota within seven days, with updates submitted to this office,” the letter goes.

The PMO has further warned that it will initiate legal proceedings under the Governance Act if the directive is not followed.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has urged Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak to resign from his post to allow for an 'impartial' investigation into the visit visa scandal.

During a National Assembly meeting today, Suresh Ale Magar of the Maoist Center demanded time to argue that a fair investigation into the scam would be unlikely as long as the Home Minister remains in office, given that employees of the Home Ministry have been implicated in the scandal.

“We believe the Home Minister is not personally responsible for any wrongdoing, but he should step down on moral grounds to facilitate investigation, making it uninfluenced,” he said. 

Ale Magar also questioned why an employee previously accused in various scams was assigned responsibility for immigration.

Speaking during the zero hour, Krishna Prasad Paudel raised concerns over the rising COVID-19 cases in India, stressing the need to enhance surveillance and testing along the Nepal-India border.

Goma Devi Timilsina urged the government to prioritize launching public awareness campaigns about COVID-19.

Sonam Gyaljen Sherpa called for prompt relief efforts for those displaced by natural disasters in Thame, Solukhumbu district.

Likewise,  Jagat Bahadur Parki, Nara Bahadur Bista, Narayan Dutta Mishra, Bhuwan Bahadur Sunar, Madan Kumari Shah (Garima), Yubaraj Sharma, and Rajendra Laxmi Gaire highlighted various other contemporary issues, drawing the government attention.

The Birgunj Customs Office has collected revenue of Rs 65.5 billion from the import of petroleum products during the last 10 months in the current fiscal year. 

As shared, the Office has spent Rs 155. 94 billion for the import of five kinds of petro products in the reporting period. 

Of the total revenue received from the import, the petro products have the 46.26 percent contribution. 

Chief Customs Administrator at Birgunj Office Deepak Lamichhane said that the main source of customs revenue here is the import of petroleum products and vehicles. 

Likewise, the import of transport vehicles and their parts has collected revenue of Rs 15.24 billion. With this, the import of vehicles and parts has a total share of 10.93 percent on the revenue received from the customs duty. 

The Office has gathered revenue of Rs 5.25 billion from the iron and iron-made products. Likewise, it has collected revenue of Rs 4.55 billion from the import of machinery and parts. 

Lamichhane further informed that the revenue of Rs 3.37 billion was collected from the import of electric machinery, accessories and their parts. 

The Office has collected Rs 2.87 billion revenue from the import of all types of clothes in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. 

Other revenue sources include Rs 2.23 billion from the import of tobacco and tobacco products and Rs 2.22 billion from cosmetics items. 

A new non-fiction title chronicling Nepal’s contemporary political history has hit the stands, drawing attention from readers and analysts alike. Contours of Change in Nepal: Politics, Power and Paradox, authored by Tika P. Dhakal and published by Alchemy Publications, was officially released on May 23 and is reportedly performing well in bookstores.

The book looks into a range of critical themes that have shaped the Nepali polity in recent years, including the constitution-drafting process, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact, evolving Nepal-India relations, regional diplomacy, and the country’s transitional justice mechanisms. It offers a broad yet incisive account of how these issues intersect to influence Nepal’s political and geopolitical trajectory.

Structured into eighteen sections, the volume combines previously published articles—many of which are re-edited and accompanied by new postscripts—with entirely new and unpublished chapters. Several entries are bolstered by the inclusion of original and unreleased documents, enhancing the book’s utility for researchers and students of Nepal’s recent history.

As a semi-academic non-fiction work, the book appears to resonate well with English-language readers seeking a deeper understanding of Nepal’s shifting political contours.

Author Tika P. Dhakal is no stranger to Nepal’s political discourse. He served as an advisor to former President Bidya Devi Bhandari for nearly three years and has been recently appointed as a Commissioner to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the high-level body tasked with investigating conflict-era human rights violations.

By knitting analysis with documentary evidence, Dhakal’s Contours of Change in Nepal positions itself as a timely and substantive contribution to the study of Nepal’s contemporary socio-political landscape.