Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA) successfully completed its 37th Annual General Meeting (AGM). During the AGM, five Members – Mr. Ashok Sherchan, Chief Executive Officer, Prabhu Bank Ltd., Mr. Kiran Kumar Shrestha, Chief Executive Officer, Rastriya Banijya Bank Ltd., Mr. Nischal Raj Pandey, Chief Executive Officer, Sanima Bank Ltd., Mr. Sanjib Manandhar, Chief Executive Officer, Prime Commercial Bank Ltd. and Mr. Sundar Prasad Kadel, Chief Executive Officer, Siddharth Bank Ltd. – were elected unopposed in the Executive Committee.
On the occasion of AGM, NBA also held its Annual Function where several guests, stakeholders and representatives were invited. NBA President Mr. Sunil KC delivered welcome remarks where he emphasized that despite the numerous national and global challenges, the banking sector of Nepal has demonstrated remarkable resilience, competitiveness, strength and capability, due to the substantial policy measures implemented by the Nepal Rastra Bank. Additionally, Mr. KC pointed out that interest rates are on a downward trend and banks possess enough loanable funds to meet the demand of borrowers. He encouraged all entrepreneurs and businessmen to step forward with fresh plans and projects, assuring them that the Nepalese banking industry is prepared to support them in every possible way.
During the function, continuing the tradition of honouring a personality who has made significant contribution to the economic and banking sector, this year it was decided to felicitate former Chairman of the Board of Citizens Bank International Limited Mr. Kul Chandra Gautam with a Certificate of Honour. Apart from serving as the Chairman of the banks, he has made substantial contributions to numerous national and international organizations, as well as public-private partnerships focused on addressing issues such poverty reduction, peacebuilding, inter-faith cooperation, global health, basic education, and the well-being of women and children. Mr. Gautam has served as Assistant Secretary -General of the United Nations, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Nepal on International Affairs and Peace Process, Advisor to the World Bank South Asia’s Food and Nutrition Security Initiative, among others.
In his remarks, reflecting on the past when there were limited financial service providers, he highlighted the significant achievements and progress of the Nepalese Banking Sector. He commended the efforts put-in extending services to almost all the local levels, offering modern and customer-friendly banking services. He also much-admired the Central Bank for its prudent policies. He emphasized the need for collective efforts to make the deprived sector credit scheme more effective to produce great results in poverty reduction and upliftment of socio-economic status of low-income families. Furthermore, he also urged BFIs to devise an effective mechanism to lend to migrant workers, who have been contributing to the one third of national GDP, and also assist in helping to gain some technical, vocational skills and language training to prospective migrant workers so that they could get much better paying, skilled or semi-skilled jobs. He also requested Nepal Bankers Association to play a leading role in facilitating this. He concluded by thanking NBA for the honor and shared that he felt very humbled and grateful for the recognition.
During the program, the Chief Guest of the Program, Honorable Governor Mr. Maha Prasad Adhikari expressed that Nepal’s banking sector has been a pivotal force in fostering development across diverse sectors such as economic progress, social transformation and technological advancement. He encouraged banks to channel their investments into more productive sectors, foster entrepreneurship and responsibly contribute to the achievement of national goals. Furthermore, he highlighted the priorities of Nepal Rastra Bank, including Green Financing/Sustainable Financing, Centralized KYC System, Cross-Border Payment System and the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), among others.
During the event, NBA Executive Director, Mr. Anil Sharma delivered a presentation outlining the past activities and future plans of Nepal Bankers’ Association.
At the end of the program, NBA Vice-President, Mr. Santosh Koirala conveyed his gratitude for the support and cooperation from everyone involved. He expressed optimism and hope that such collaboration would persist in the future days to come.
The program was attended by various dignitaries, including the Vice President of CBFIN, President of the Nepal Insurance Association, Chief Executive Officers of Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund; National Banking Institute; Nepal Electronic Payment System and officials from the Local Government, Entrepreneurs, Businessmen, media personnel, bank officials and other concerned stakeholders.
