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The Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) has decided to implement the recommendations made by a government task force formed to restore investor confidence and reform the country’s capital market. The task force, led by Sebon’s Acting Executive Director Rupesh KC, had submitted its report to Minister for Finance Rameshore Prasad Khanal on Sept 24. 

Minister Khanal formed the panel on Sept 19 to identify systemic and procedural reforms needed to stabilize and strengthen the capital market. According to Sebon, the task force’s suggestions cover short-, medium-, and long-term measures. These include amendments to existing regulations, easing certain provisions for investors and modernizing trading systems.

With Sebon’s decision to implement the capital market reform task force’s recommendations, new companies entering the stock market through IPOs and those raising funds via rights issues will now be required to meet certain standards. These criteria will be enforced jointly by the finance ministry and Sebon within a year. In line with the recommendations made by the panel, Sebon plans to amend the Securities Registration and Issue Regulations to raise the minimum public offering (IPO) requirement from 10 percent to 20 percent. Similarly, the lock-in period for promoters’ shares will be made more flexible by allowing phased release instead of lifting restrictions all at once.

The capital market regulator will also move forward with the establishment of a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) trading platform, as recommended by the task force. Revisions to the rules governing the trading of promoter shares in banks, financial institutions and insurance companies are also on the cards.

For margin loans, Sebon will ensure that investors who pay the due interest by mid-January 2026 will not face additional penalties, even if the payment deadline of mid-November is missed. Short-term measures to be implemented within three months include introducing a margin trading system through brokers and standardizing the Investor ID (IGIN) process managed by CDS and Clearing Ltd.

The task force has also suggested maintaining the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index as an “all-equity index” and developing a new benchmark based on tradable shares. It has also suggested reviewing the circuit breaker rules. According to the panel’s recommendation, listed companies will be required to reconcile and directly pay the dividend tax on the bonus shares they distribute.

In the longer term, the task force has called for separate specialized laws for securities market regulation, investor protection and trust management, as well as measures to bring Nepse’s trading system in line with international standards and facilitate trading of government and corporate bonds.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 19. 43 points to close at 2, 528. 16 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 60 points to close at 439. 94 points.

A total of 7,488,273-unit shares of 317 companies were traded for Rs 3. 36 billion.

Meanwhile, Shuvam Power Limited (SPL) and Grameen Bikas Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. (GBLBS) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.
Likewise, Samaj Laghubittya Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SAMAJ) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 43 trillion.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 8, 100 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 248, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 240, 400 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 105 and is being traded at Rs 3, 325 per tola today.

The Bailey bridge being built by China at Lende Khola along the Nepal–China border in Rasuwagadhi has reached its final stage, raising hopes that the key Rasuwagadhi–Kerung trade point will reopen within two weeks. According to officials, all construction works are being carried out by the Chinese side. 

On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song shared a video on X showing the under-construction bridge with the caption “Pushing Ahead”, indicating that China was making maximum efforts to bring the vital trade route in operation at the earliest. 

The bridge will span 90 meters and have a load-bearing capacity of 55 tons. The approach road on the Chinese side has already been completed, while around 20 meters of approach road on the Nepali side needs to be built. Officials say the construction of the approach road will begin once the bridge installation work is complete.

The Bailey bridge is being constructed as the 100-meter-long Miteri (Friendship) Bridge was swept away by floods on July 8. The floods cut off the major trade link with China, bringing bilateral trade to a halt ahead of the major festive season.

Nepal imported goods worth nearly Rs 80bn through the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office during the first 11 months of 2024/25. The imports generated Rs 28.71bn in revenue for the government. With containers stranded on both sides of the border, much of Nepal–China trade shifted to the Tatopani border in Sindhupalchowk. However, that crossing was also closed soon after, following landslides that blocked the Araniko Highway. As a result, traders were forced to import goods from China via Mustang’s Korala border—a detour that added both time and cost.

The closure of the two northern border points hit automobile distributors particularly hard. Many had received significant bookings for China-made vehicles during the NAIMA Nepal Mobility Expo and NADA Auto Show for delivery before the Dashain festival. The shutdown forced distributors to bring electric vehicles (EVs) through the Korala border, even though it incurred additional costs and delays.

China began constructing the Bailey bridge soon after the July floods. Nepali customs officials expect the bridge and the trade route to be ready for operation around the Tihar festival, which begins next week.

Meanwhile, officials say multiple sections of the Pasang Lhamu Highway—the only road link to the Rasuwagadhi border point—that were disrupted by floods and landslides will be operational by the time the bridge construction is completed. Although smaller vehicles are now plying the route, the Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi section remains closed to larger trucks.