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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 49.12 points to close at 2,640.68 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 6.69 points to close at 449. 59 points.

A total of 15,461,264-unit shares of 312 companies were traded for Rs 6. 30 billion.

Meanwhile, Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Upakar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ULBSL) and Samudayik Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SLBSL) were the top losers as their price fell by 10.00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 38 trillion.

The repair of several sections of the BP Highway, which were affected by landslides in the last week of Sept 2024, is projected to cost around Rs 9.66bn. A study conducted after the floods indicates that a significant amount of funding will be needed for the restoration work.

A post-flood study reveals that a substantial amount of money will be required for the reconstruction.

According to the Divisional Road Office in Bhaktapur, this estimate covers the reconstruction of several locations along the BP Highway, from Bhakunde to Nepalthok. Out of a 12-kilometer stretch of the highway from Chowkidanda in Namobuddha, Kavrepalanchok, to Kaldhunga in Roshi Rural Municipality, eight kilometers were severely damaged.

Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh, head of the office, stated that the study recommends the installation of three types of walls: RCC retaining walls, plum walls, and gabion walls. “Although the study suggests building bridges first in some areas, a final decision will be made after further discussions on whether to build bridges or walls,” he explained. According to him, RCC walls are recommended in areas prone to river flooding, while plum and gabion walls should be used in other locations.

The office is currently awaiting confirmation of funding for the road’s reconstruction. “The study for the road section’s reconstruction has been completed, but the source of the funding has not been secured. Once we receive confirmation from the donor agency and the Government of Nepal, we will proceed with the contract process,” he said.

In October last year, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, conducted a study on the collapsed section of the highway. Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli discussed the reconstruction with Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has already requested assistance from JICA for the reconstruction, and they are awaiting JICA’s report and response.

Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary of the Ministry, stated that preparations are underway to request funds from the Disaster Management Fund of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Furthermore, the ministry is working on plans to reconstruct the highway with concessional loans from donor agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank.

The gold is being traded at Rs 152, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 810 per tola today. 

The government has managed to utilize just 11.58 percent of its capital budget in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, only Rs 40.8bn of the Rs 352bn allocated for capital expenditure has been spent between mid-July and mid-December.

Low capital expenditure has long been a persistent issue for Nepal, with an average utilization of just 60 percent over the past four years. In 2023/24, the government spent only 63.47 percent of the capital budget. Of the Rs 302bn allocated for capital spending in 2023/24, government offices were successful in spending only Rs 191.73bn.

As of mid-December, no ministry has surpassed 17 percent in capital spending. This reflects the inability of government agencies to effectively execute their budgets.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies recorded the lowest spending, utilizing just 1.1 percent of its Rs 2.1bn allocation. The ministry has been able to spend only Rs 23.2m till mid-December. Officials of the ministry have attributed the dismal progress to delays in releasing payments for completed projects.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport led capital expenditure among ministries, spending 16.56 percent of its Rs 143.79bn budget. The development-intensive ministry has spent Rs 23.69bn between mid-July and mid-December.

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation was next with 16.02 percent capital budget utilization. The ministry spent Rs 108.7m out of Rs 678.8m capital budget allocated in the current fiscal year.   

Capital spending by the Ministry of Finance stood at 7.05 percent of its Rs 13.79bn capital budget allocated for 2024/25. The ministry was successful in spending Rs 972.4m till mid-December..

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation performed relatively better in capital expenditure, spending Rs 5.25bn (14.52 percent) of its Rs 36.18bn allocation.

Likewise, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development utilized 13.81 percent of its Rs 3.78bn budget, spending Rs 521.8m in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation achieved 8.16 percent capital budget spending progress over the first five months of 2024/25. Out of Rs 2.75bn allocated, the ministry was successful in spending Rs 224m by mid-December.

The Ministry of Urban Development managed to spend just 6.62 percent of its Rs 63.18bn budget, or Rs 4.18bn, in the review period.