Kathmandu: The price of gold in Nepal surged by Rs 3,000 per tola on Sunday, setting a new record high in the domestic market just days after crossing the Rs 200,000 mark for the first time.



According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, fine gold, which was traded at Rs 200,600 per tola on Friday, climbed to Rs 203,600 per tola today.



Silver prices also jumped sharply, rising by Rs 65 per tola. The precious metal is now being traded at Rs 2,425 per tola, up from Rs 2,360 per tola on Friday, also an all-time high.

Gold hits record high of Rs 203,600 per tola in Nepal

Kathmandu: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Chandra Prasad Dhakal and Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani held a meeting in Qatar to discuss strengthening bilateral economic and business relations.



During the talks, both sides agreed to hold the next Nepal-Qatar Joint Business Council (JBC) meeting in Kathmandu. Dhakal said the JBC has become an important mechanism to promote trade and investment between the two countries and stressed the need to finalise its membership list to make it more effective.



Inviting Qatari investors to explore opportunities in Nepal, Dhakal highlighted sectors such as hydropower, solar energy, information technology, fintech and agriculture-based industries. He also emphasised FNCCI’s ongoing digital transformation and called for collaboration with the Qatar Chamber on advanced technologies, including AI-based business tools, blockchain trade documentation and digital investment platforms.



Al Thani assured that efforts would be made to make the JBC more effective and reiterated Qatar’s commitment to deepening business ties with Nepal.



Dhakal also invited Qatari business leaders to participate in the Nepal International Economic Summit scheduled for February in Kathmandu, where a special “Qatar-focused investment session” will be featured. He further proposed collaboration in certification, standardisation and joint branding to boost Nepali exports such as tea, coffee, cardamom, herbs and processed foods in the Qatari market.



High-ranking officials and businesspeople from the Qatar Chamber attended the meeting.

Nepal-Qatar joint business council meeting to be held in Kathmandu

Kathmandu: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) will issue new paper notes only in the denomination of Rs 5 for the upcoming Dashain festival, while providing clean notes in other denominations.



The central bank said the move is part of its cost management strategy and efforts to encourage digital transactions. Until last year, NRB used to print new notes of multiple denominations for the festival, spending an average of Rs 1.3 billion annually.



According to an NRB source, individuals will be allowed to exchange clean notes and new notes worth up to Rs 18,500 per person through any commercial bank and the central bank’s seven provincial offices.



Dashain, the biggest Hindu festival in Nepal, is less than a month away.

NRB to issue only Rs 5 new notes for Dashain

Kathmandu: Gold price has reached all time high today reaching Rs 200 thousand 600 per tola. 



A tola is equivalent to 11.66 grammes. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, the price of one tola of gold has soared to Rs 200,600 per tola compared to Rs 199 thousand 400 per tola on last Thursday. 



Similarly, the same quantity of silver is being traded at Rs 2,360 per tola today against Rs 2,355 on Thursday, said the Federation. The international media reported that the precious yellow metal is currently being traded at USD 3,408 per ounce in the international market. An ounce of gold weighs 31.1 grammes.

Gold price hits record high at Rs 200,600 per tola

Kathmandu: Nepal’s public debt increased by Rs 14.05 billion in the first month of the current fiscal year 2082/83 (2024/25), reaching Rs 2.684 trillion, the Public Debt Management Office said in its latest report.



The figure, equivalent to 43.94% of GDP, includes Rs 1.42 trillion (52.26%) in external debt and Rs 1.27 trillion (47.74%) in domestic debt. The government has set a borrowing target of Rs 595 billion for the year, of which Rs 44.57 billion — 7.48% of the target — was raised by mid-August, including Rs 40 billion from domestic sources and Rs 4.57 billion externally.



During the same period, Rs 36.68 billion was spent on interest payments, accounting for 8.93% of the Rs 411 billion allocated for debt servicing in the current budget.

Nepal’s public debt rises by Rs 14 billion in first month of new fiscal year

Kathmandu: Despite a large number of universities and colleges established in the country for higher studies, a hefty amount of money is spent for abroad studies by Nepali students. 



According to the Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal released by the Central Bank on Sunday based on annual data, travel payments from the country increased 18.1 percent to Rs 223.72 billion, including Rs 138.48 billion for education. 



"Such payments were Rs 189.43 billion and Rs 125.13 billion respectively in the previous year," it stated. According to the Nepal Rastra Bank, the net services income remained at a deficit of Rs 90.94 billion during 2024/25 compared to a deficit of Rs 55.86 billion in the previous year. 



Under the service account, travel income increased 7.7 percent to Rs 88.66 billion in the review year which was Rs 82.33 billion in the previous year.

Nepali students spend Rs 138 billion for abroad studies

Kathmandu: The economic growth rate has increased and inflation has decreased in the last Fiscal Year 2024/25 as compared to the previous fiscal year. 



Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) stated this in its report entitled Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal (Based on Annual Data (Mid-July 2025 of 2024/25) which was issued today. According to the central bank, the economic growth rate for 2024/25 has been estimated to be 4.61 percent. 



In the previous year the economic growth rate was 3.67 percent. Agriculture, industry and service sectors are estimated to grow 3.28 percent, 4.53 percent and 4.21 percent respectively. Share of agriculture, industry and service sectors in GDP stands 25.16 percent, 12.83 percent and 62.01 percent respectively in 2024/25. 



Gross domestic saving to GDP stands 6.55 percent in 2024/25. Ratio of gross fixed capital formation and gross national saving to GDP stands 24.07 percent and 36.24 percent respectively. Annual average Inflation remained 4.06 percent in 2024/25. In the previous year annual average inflation was 5.44 percent. 



The y-o-y consumer price inflation stood at 2.20 percent in mid-July 2025 compared to 3.57 percent a year ago. Under the food and beverage category, the annual average consumer price index of vegetable sub-category increased 10.71 percent, ghee &amp; oil 8.72 percent, pulses &amp; legumes 7.90 percent and cereal grains &amp; their products 6.13 percent while the annual average consumer price index of spices decreased 2.62 percent and meat &amp; fish 0.34 percent. 



The annual average non-food and services category inflation stood at 3.71 percent in 2024/25 compared to 4.64 percent a year ago. The y-o-y non-food and services category inflation stood at 4.12 percent in mid-July 2025 compared to 3.26 percent a year ago. The NRB report stated that Balance of Payments remained at a surplus of Rs 594.54 billion compared to a surplus of Rs 502.49 billion last year. 



Imports and exports increased 13.3 percent and 81.8 percent respectively. In the previous year, imports and exports decreased 1.2 percent and 3.0 percent respectively. Remittances increased 19.2 percent in NPR terms and 16.3 percent in USD terms. 



During mid-June to mid-July 2025 remittance inflows stood at Rs. 189.11 billion, according to the report. Gross foreign exchange reserves stood at 19.50 billion in USD terms. It is stated that this level of foreign exchange reserve is sufficient to cover merchandise and services imports for 15.4 months. The broad money (M2) increased 12.5 percent in 2024/25. In the previous year M2 increased 12.9 percent. Deposits at BFIs increased 12.6 percent amounting to Rs 7264 billion while private sector credit increased 8.4 percent amounting to Rs 5498 billion in 2024/25. The installed capacity of electricity increased to 3591 Megawatt in 2024/25, which consists of 3390 Megawatt from hydroelectricity. The total number of tourist arrivals increased by 1.7 percent to 1,147,834 in 2024/25.

Nepal's economic growth of 4.61 percent estimated for FY 2024/25

More than 103,000 Nepalis have applied for just 5,300 job quotas offered by South Korea for 2025 under the Employment Permit System (EPS), according to the EPS Korea Branch in Nepal.



South Korea has allocated the quota for workers in the manufacturing and agriculture, livestock sectors. Applications were open from August 10 to 15, during which more than 100,000 people submitted forms to sit for the language test, a mandatory requirement for selection.



EPS officials said the initial screening of applications is under way. The language test will be held in up to five shifts per day, and only those who pass will be eligible for the final employment selection.



The Korean labor market remains one of the most sought,after destinations for Nepali workers, with the EPS test drawing massive participation every year. High wages, a regulated labor market, and worker, friendly policies are considered the key attractions.



Observers note that the overwhelming number of applications compared to the limited quota reflects the strong pull of South Korea’s labor opportunities for Nepali youths.

Over 100,000 Nepalis apply for 5,300 Korea job quotas

Kathmandu: Nepal and Russia have begun discussions to expand their bilateral trade beyond the traditional imports of crude oil and sunflower oil, according to the Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NFTA).



At a meeting held on August 18 in Kathmandu, Nepali officials and Russian representatives agreed to explore opportunities in various other goods and services, including pharmaceuticals, industrial raw materials, and agricultural products.



The talks follow Nepal’s growing dependence on Russian oil and sunflower oil in recent years. Russia has emerged as one of Nepal’s significant suppliers, with oil imports alone rising by more than 50 percent in the past two years, according to trade data presented at the event.



During the meeting, speakers highlighted the potential for Nepal to diversify imports from Russia while also seeking opportunities to increase Nepali exports. Products such as tea, coffee, carpets, handmade goods, and agricultural products were identified as areas where Nepal could expand its market access.



Officials from both sides stressed that strengthening logistics, reducing procedural hurdles, and enhancing cooperation between private sectors were key to increasing bilateral trade volume.



The NFTA said Nepal’s overall foreign trade deficit could be partially addressed if imports from Russia were balanced with higher Nepali exports. The association also called for government support to help Nepali exporters meet Russian standards and facilitate trade.



The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue technical discussions and explore signing a broader trade cooperation framework in the near future.

Nepal, Russia begin talks on expanding bilateral trade beyond oil and sunflower seeds

Kathmandu: 



Kiran Prakash Shakya, president of the Nepal-USA Chamber of Commerce, has urged Nepal to capitalize on the 10 percent base tariff imposed by the United States to increase exports to the American market.



Speaking at the chamber’s 24th annual general meeting on Thursday, Shakya said Nepal holds a comparative advantage at a time when neighboring countries face higher tariffs. “The U.S. has set only a 10 percent duty rate for Nepal, which provides significant opportunities to expand exports,” he said.



The United States is Nepal’s second-largest export destination after India. Key exports include carpets, readymade garments, handicrafts, yak cheese (chhurpi), pashmina, and wool felt. In the last fiscal year, Nepal exported goods worth Rs. 18.32 billion to the U.S.



Shakya noted that although Nepal Trade Preference Program (NTPP) allows duty-free access to 77 Nepali products until December 31, 2025, the facility was nullified by an executive order of former President Donald Trump. “Exporters are still paying the 10 percent base tariff, meaning the duty-free provision has not been implemented in practice,” he explained.



He added that the chamber has been advising the government ahead of the upcoming Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting and stressed the need to implement commitments made under the framework.



During the event, the chamber honored outstanding exporters and importers in various categories, including carpets, readymade garments, handicrafts, wool felt, pashmina, and chhurpi, as well as top importers, startup entrepreneurs, and women entrepreneurs. Eight chamber members who received the Commercially Important Person (CIP) recognition from the government were also felicitated.

Chamber urges Nepal to leverage 10% tariff advantage to boost exports to US

Kathmandu: 



Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari has pledged to promote inclusive and climate-resilient farming in Nepal, emphasizing climate-friendly agriculture, sustainable livestock practices, and the use of advanced technologies.



Speaking at the “Interregional Dialogues on Family Farming” in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Adhikari said Nepal is prioritizing irrigation expansion, cold storage facilities, value chain investments, crop diversification, soil fertility improvement, and drought- and flood-tolerant crops. 



He highlighted that unpredictable weather, floods, droughts, and landslides threaten livelihoods and food security, calling for stronger regional cooperation in climate data sharing, early warning systems, and disaster preparedness.



The minister described family farming as central to Nepal’s culture, tradition, and food security, urging efforts to make it a profitable and sustainable occupation. Lawmakers and officials at the event stressed the need for inclusive policies, political will, and technical expertise to advance the agricultural sector.

Nepal committed to climate-resilient agriculture: Minister Adhikari

Kathmandu: India has approved the purchase of an additional 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal, raising Nepal’s total export capacity to India to 1,010.9 MW. The approval, granted on August 11, will remain valid until October 31, 2025.



The latest decision allows imports from six hydropower projects — Likhu (2), Likhu Khola A, Lower Solu, Thulo Khola, Super Kaweli Khola A, and Super Kaweli Khola. Combined with 40 MW already approved for export to Bangladesh, Nepal’s total authorized electricity export capacity now stands at 1,050.9 MW.



In the fiscal year 2024/25, Nepal exported electricity worth Rs 1.747 billion to India. Officials say the new approval, along with expected additional clearances, could double exports to India in the current fiscal year.

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