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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 59.68 points to close at 2,424.32 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 16.37 points to close at 436. 14 points.

A total of 39,938,237-unit shares of 312 companies were traded for Rs 15. 54 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Investment Mega Bank Limited (NIMB), Nepal Finance Ltd. (NFS), Ankhu Khola Jalvidhyut Company Ltd (AKJCL), Upakar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ULBSL) and Three Star Hydropower Limited (TSHL) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Kumari Sabal Yojana (KSY) was the top loser as its price fell by 5.76 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 84 trillion.

In the fiscal year 2023/24, the government’s revenue and expenditure fell short of annual targets. 

According to the Office of the Auditor General, revenue collection reached 74.29 percent of the total target, while budget expenditures amounted to 80.44 percent.

For the fiscal year, the government had allocated a total budget of Rs 1,751bn. By mid-July (the end of fiscal year 2023-24), expenditures amounted to Rs 1,408bn.

Specifically, expenditures under the current heading amounted to Rs 952bn, which is 83.41 percent of the allocated budget of Rs 1,141bn. Similarly, expenditures under the capital heading totaled Rs 1,917bn, 63.47 per cent of the allocated budget of Rs 3,020bn.

Under the financial management heading, expenditures totaled Rs 2,646bn, reaching 86.07 percent of the allocated budget of Rs 3,074bn for the last fiscal year.

The government had set a revenue collection target of Rs 1,472bn for the fiscal year, but actual collections amounted to Rs 1,093bn, making up 74.29 percent of the target. 

The government collected Rs 944.55m in revenue in the last fiscal year against its target of collecting Rs 1,305bn. 

Towards non-tax, a target was set to collect Rs 117bn in the last fiscal year, but only Rs 114bn was collected. 

Similarly, the government was successful in receiving only 22.48 percent foreign grants (Rs 1,122bn) against the target of receiving Rs 4,994bn foreign grants.  

The government failed to meet the goal even after amending the income and expenditure estimate twice. It revised the income and expenditure estimate through a half-yearly review for the first time and second time while bringing up the budget of the last fiscal year.  

Revising the income and expenditure estimate for the second time on May 28, outgoing Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun presented the revised estimate of Rs 1,530bn (87.4 percent of  allocation). 

Of the total government expenditure, it was expected to spend Rs 1,067bn towards current expenditure, Rs 215bn towards capital expenditure and Rs 247bn towards financial management. 

Similarly, the government had set the target of collecting revenues worth Rs 1,253bn in the last fiscal year following the second revision. The government had reduced the estimates of revenue and expenditure by making a half-yearly review of the budget for fiscal year 2023/24 for the first time last February.

The government had brought a budget of Rs 1,751.31bn for the fiscal year 2023/24. The government had made a revised estimate of expenditure of Rs 1,530.26bn or 87.38 percent of the budget through the half-yearly evaluation of the budget. 

The estimates of expenditure towards current heading was revised through the half-yearly review to 88.84 percent, towards capital heading to 84.13 percent and towards fiscal management heading to 87.39 percent compared to the initial allocations for the first time. 

The estimates of income and expenditure were decreased through the half-yearly budget review and was expected to be Rs 1,007.45bn or 88.24 percent of the initial allocation towards the current heading, Rs 254.13bn or 84.13 percent of the initial allocation towards the capital heading and Rs 268.67bn or 87.39 percent of the initial allocation towards fiscal management heading.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 149, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 149, 800 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 148, 800 per tola. It was traded at Rs 149, 100 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,860 per tola today.

Investment commitments in the tourism sector have increased by 20.81 percent in fiscal year 2023/24 compared to the previous fiscal year.

According to the Department of Industry (DoI), it has received Rs 30.53bn worth of investment commitments from 134 different tourism ventures like hotels and cable car projects in 2023/24. The department had received such commitments worth Rs 25.27bn from 76 projects in 2022/23. 

While the number of projects have nearly doubled compared to 2022/23, the investment commitment has not increased in the same proportion, an official at the DoI said. The official said that seven of these projects have made investment commitments above Rs 1bn each.

The largest investment commitment has come from The Massif Hotel Pvt Ltd which has expressed commitment to spend over Rs 4.81 billion. The five-star property, which is being built by Guna Group—a conglomerate having business interests ranging from real estate to the aviation sector—in Gwarko of Lalitpur, will have 302 rooms. According to rating company ICRA Nepal, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 6.5bn and the promoters plan to raise 75 percent of the project cost through bank financing. 

Similarly, Veda Hospitality Pvt Ltd is building a 270-bed hotel in Lumbini. The company promoted by Golyan Group has proposed to invest Rs 4.6bn to build a five-star hotel in Kamahariya of Mayadevi Rural Municipality of Rupandehi. The group has signed a management contract with Hyatt Group. The property will be named Hyatt Regency Lumbini. Golyan Group also operates Hotel Hyatt Place in Soaltee Mode, Kathmandu.

Likewise,  Prabhu Group has proposed to invest Rs 2bn in a cable car project in Icchakamana Rural Municipality of Chitwan. The lower station of the cable car project will be near Ramailo Danda on the Prithvi Highway, while the top station will be at Ichchhakamana Devi Temple premises on the Mahabharat hill.

Hospital entrepreneur Durga Prasai is investing Rs 2.84bn in Hotel Atrium in Jhapa. The hotel will have 120 beds and a 200-seat restaurant. Likewise, Hotel Buddha Pvt Ltd has been registered in Lumbini with an investment commitment of Rs 1.85bn. The hotel will have 200 beds. 

Similarly, Watford Hotel Management Pvt. Ltd. have expressed commitment to invest Rs 1.16bn to open a 92-room hotel. has been registered with an investment commitment of Rs 1.16bn for a 92-bed hotel.

Likewise, KTM Hospitality has made an investment commitment of Rs 1.15bn to open a resort in Chitwan, while Yaksha Hospitality has proposed to invest Rs 2bn to open a 115-room hotel.