KATHMANDU – Key issues raised during the third edition of the National Banking Discourse 2025, held on June 5 in Kathmandu, have been incorporated into Nepal’s new Monetary Policy for Fiscal Year 2082/83 (2025/26), unveiled by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on July 11.

The policy includes major provisions such as the introduction of a Regulatory Sandbox, the establishment of Neo-Banks, Asset Management Companies, and improved coordination between financial and monetary policies all of which were strongly emphasized during the discourse.

The third edition of this national-level event, organized by Banking Samachar, saw robust participation from top officials of NRB, including both Deputy Governors and various executive heads. Governor Dr. Vishwanath Paudel also delivered a virtual address.

The event featured four thematic sessions focusing on:

• Challenges in credit expansion in Nepal
• Issues in lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Open banking and fintech
• Alignment of financial and monetary policies

These sessions, along with a special segment with former Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, laid the groundwork for several provisions now reflected in the monetary policy.

Discussions during the discourse called for lowering interest rates to increase credit flow, advancing the concepts of open banking and neo-banks, establishing a regulatory sandbox, and ensuring monetary policy supports the objectives of fiscal policy.

In response, Governor Dr. Paudel incorporated these recommendations into the latest monetary framework.

Previously, recommendations from the National Insurance Discourse had influenced Nepal’s budget, including the plan to insure government physical assets—highlighting the increasing policy impact of such national discourse platforms.