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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 2. 53 points to close at 2,677. 30 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 25 points to close at 457. 34 points.

A total of 14,299,394-unit shares of 318 companies were traded for Rs 6. 53 billion.

Meanwhile, Corporate Development Bank Limited (CORBL), Om Megashree Pharmaceuticals Limited (OMPL), 
Green Development Bank Ltd. (GRDBL) and Bhugol Energy Development Company Limited (BEDC)​​​​​​​ were the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Gurans Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (GLBSL) was the top loser as its price fell by 8. 01 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 45 trillion.

The recent report by the public auditor reveals that local governments in Pyuthan have shown excessive interest in fuel expenditures. According to Point 7 of the Public Expenditure Standards, Procedures, and Guidelines on Economy, 2018, when providing fuel to officials and employees who receive vehicle facilities, offices must determine a monthly fuel quota (in liters of diesel/petrol) and a quarterly quota for mobile and brake oil based on the recipient’s position, and must maintain updated records accordingly.

Swargadwari Municipality spent Rs 2,898,015 under the fuel expenditure heading and also used contingency funds to cover fuel costs. Sarumarani Rural Municipality spent Rs 189,947 on fuel and similarly tapped into contingency funds. Mandavi Rural Municipality recorded Rs 269,871 under fuel expenses, again drawing from contingency funds. Airawati Rural Municipality spent Rs 1,668,620 on fuel, with part of the expenditure also covered through contingency funds.

According to Section 4(2) of the Act to Amend and Consolidate the Laws Relating to Facilities Available to Local Level Officials and Members—enacted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law of Lumbini Province in 2019—if a local government does not provide a vehicle, officials are entitled to transportation allowances as per a prescribed schedule. However, even though a vehicle is provided for official use by the rural municipality chairperson, it was found that Sarumarani Rural Municipality Chairperson Jhaga Bahadur Bishwakarma received transportation allowances totaling Rs 144,000 (Rs 12,000 per month) in violation of this provision. The audit report highlights this as irregular.

Similarly, the mayor of Pyuthan Municipality, Bishnu Bahadur Yogi, received transportation allowances in addition to vehicle and fuel facilities. The final audit report notes that he received Rs 12,000 per month from May 2022 to June 2023, totaling 14 months. Since these dual benefits fall under the same expenditure heading, the report recommends that the excess payment be recovered.

The Policy Guidelines for Maintaining Economy and Effectiveness in Public Expenditure, 2018 require all provincial and local offices, as well as their officials and employees, to exercise economic and effective spending. The Act on Facilities of Local Level Officials and Members, 2019 also provides guidelines on transportation facilities for officials.

In addition to receiving vehicles and fuel, some municipalities have also rented vehicles. Airawati Rural Municipality, which spent Rs 1,668,620 on fuel and transportation facilities, rented a vehicle at a monthly cost of Rs 90,000 in fiscal year 2022/23—an annual outlay of Rs 1,080,000. This expenditure, according to the final audit report from the Office of the Auditor General, violates existing regulations.

Responding to the report, Airawati Rural Municipality Chairperson Nabil Bikram Shah said the vehicle was rented instead of purchased to reduce costs, as the existing vehicle was old and in poor condition. “That vehicle is old and broken,” he said. “The chairperson, vice-chairperson, and chief administrative officer all travel frequently. We opted to rent a multipurpose vehicle as it was more cost-effective.” He added that a team, including a medical officer, visits 10 health institutions within the municipality each month to provide services such as video X-rays.

World record holder climber Kami Rita Sherpa has successfully scaled Mt Everest for the 31st time, breaking the record he set last year.

The 55-year-old Sherpa of Thame, Solukhumbu, broke his own record after reaching the top of the world's tallest peak at 4 am today. 

Last year, he set a record by standing atop Everest for the 29th and 30th time.

As per the Department of Tourism, the climbing season to scale Mt Everest has concluded from today. 

Around 500 people summited Mt Everest in this season.

Creating employment and income-generating opportunities for the growing workforce entering the labor market each year remains a major challenge for Nepal. With limited opportunities within the country and economic progress falling short of expectations, a significant number of Nepali youth have migrated abroad for employment.

Pitambar Dhakal, former dean of Mid-Western University and a prominent civil society leader, noted, “The culture of going abroad for employment has increased significantly in Karnali as well. Even youth who had gone abroad for studies have returned home, only to leave again due to the belief that they cannot find suitable employment or earn a decent income here.”

Karnali, like the rest of the country, was deeply affected by years of conflict and political instability. During the 10-year armed insurgency led by the then-Maoists, many schools in Karnali were disrupted. The Maoist campaign against so-called “bourgeois education” led to widespread school dropouts in rural areas, depriving many children of educational opportunities. As a result, a generation of young people was unable to receive a proper education and access employment.

Dhakal also pointed out several other factors behind the continued outmigration: a lack of trust in earning potential through local investments; absence of a culture that respects labor; low wages and high cost of living; a growing desire to escape poverty quickly; declining interest in agriculture; the influence of globalization; increasing demand for Nepali workers in the global labor market; and the visible economic progress of returnees, which inspires others to migrate. In addition, the private sector has shown limited involvement in job creation, and rapid technological advancements have further expanded access to information about foreign opportunities.

Despite Nepal’s development potential, many citizens are compelled to seek employment abroad due to limited local options. While foreign employment has helped reduce poverty and unemployment, experts argue that reliance on it should gradually decrease. A domestic environment must be fostered where young people can thrive professionally.

Social worker Jagatjung Bista emphasized, “We should enhance the quality of foreign employment by ending the exploitation and deception faced by Nepali workers—even in countries where labor agreements exist. More importantly, we must cultivate a mindset that values working and earning within our own country, and one that respects all forms of labor.”

The BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Chitwan has launched 'Flow Cytometry' test, which is conducted to identify the variant of blood cancer.

The Hospital has imparted necessary training to doctors and technicians for the same. More than 90 people underwent the test after launching the service, said Chief of Lab Department of the Hospital, Dr Greta Pandey. 

Earlier, the samples had to be sent to India for the test after paying a high charge. One can undergo the test now only at Rs 12,000, according to the Hospital. There is no actual data on how many people suffer from blood cancer every year in Nepal. 

Flow Cytometry is the type of advanced test performed on a sample of bone marrow extracted from patients with blood cancer. 

The service began in the hospital after training was imparted to a doctor and a technician sending them to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in India.

Executive Director of the Hospital, Dr Shivaji Poudel, mentioned that the hospital has been expanding its service by installing equipment and imparting training to human resources in order to make cancer treatment more effective.

Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel briefed President Ram Chandra Paudel about the budget for the fiscal year 2025/26. 

As per the constitutional provision, the government is presenting the budget in the Federal Parliament on May 29.

Finance Minister Paudel reached Shital Niwas this morning and briefed the President about the budget for the next fiscal year,  according to the President's Personal Secretariat.

Before presenting the budget, Finance Minister Paudel will present the economic survey in Parliament today.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 190, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 191, 100 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 995  per tola today.

As bank interest rates continue to decline, insurance companies in Nepal have significantly increased their investments in the stock market, channeling over Rs 37bn into listed shares to diversify portfolios and maximize returns. This reflects a broader trend of seeking higher yields in a low-interest-rate environment, with insurers capitalizing on the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) to bolster profitability.

According to the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA), 24 listed insurance companies have invested
Rs 37.61bn in shares listed on the Nepse as of mid-April 2025, a sharp rise from Rs 16.51bn in mid-April 2024. The surge in investment is driven by the need to offset diminishing returns from traditional fixed-income instruments, such as bank deposits, which have become less lucrative due to declining interest rates.

Institutional investors, particularly insurance companies, play a pivotal role in stabilizing the stock market. Unlike individual investors, who often engage in short-term, speculative trading, institutions adopt a long-term investment approach. This strategy reduces panic-driven sell-offs, cushions market volatility and enhances liquidity. The steady capital inflows from insurers foster market resilience and boost confidence among individual investors. Insurance companies, as some of the largest institutional investors in Nepal’s capital market, are instrumental in driving this stability.

NIA regulations permit insurance companies to allocate up to 10 percent of their investable funds to shares of listed companies. Life insurance companies have been particularly aggressive, increasing their investments in ordinary shares by an impressive 108 percent over the past year. By mid-April 2025, life insurers had invested Rs 33.07bn in the secondary market, compared to Rs 4.54bn invested by non-life insurance companies. 

Experts attribute this shift to the sharp decline in interest rates, which has eroded returns on low-yielding bank deposits. With traditional investment avenues offering diminished profitability, insurers are increasingly turning to the stock market to maintain financial viability. This trend not only reflects adaptive financial strategies but also signals growing confidence in Nepal’s equity market.