April 24: The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has received seven applications for licenses to operate a new stock exchange and two commodity exchange markets.

Three private companies, the Himalayan Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange of Nepal, and Annapurna Stock Exchange Limited, have applied for the license to operate the new stock exchange.  However, only one of the companies will be granted a license to operate the new stock exchange.

Likewise, four private companies, Himalayan Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Limited, Multi Derivatives Exchange Limited, Multi Assets and Derivatives Exchange Limited, and Nepal Multi Commodity Exchange Limited, have applied for licenses to operate the commodity exchange market.

However, only two of these companies will be granted licenses to operate the commodity exchange market.

SEBON had called for applications for one new stock exchange company and two commodity exchanges on April 13, with the deadline for applications on April 23.

SEBON has started the new license distribution process that was postponed since November 1, 2022.

Earlier, SEBON had requested applications for a new stock exchange, commodity exchange and broker license on September 16. But two petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against the new license distribution process and the board suspended the new license distribution process on November 1.

The Supreme Court scrapped both the writ petitions, one on December 28 and the other on April 9, paving the way for the board to resume the license distribution process. 

The SEBON has set a paid-up capital requirement of Rs 3 billion for the new stock exchange platform, with 70% of the ownership of the new stock exchange facility to be held by the founders and 30% by the general public.

Additionally, NEPSE has set a paid-up capital requirement of not less than Rs 500 million for the new commodity exchange market. 

Former presidents of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI), Pashupati Murarka, Bhawani Rana, Shekhar Golchha, and the directors of the Himalayan Reinsurance Company are among the major investors in the Himalayan Stock Exchange. 

In the same manner, Siddharth Group and Agni Group, which include past Non-Resident Nepali Association presidents Upendra Mahato, Jiba Lamichhane, current president Dr. Badri KC, and Kul Acharya, are the largest investors on the National Stock Exchange.

Annapurna Media House’s Proprietor Captain Rameswor Thapa has a major stake in Annapurna Stock Exchange. Surendraraj Wagle, Anil Sapkota, Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, and Sekhar Subedi are other major investors in the company. 

The applications for the licenses of stock exchange and commodity market suggest that big corporate houses are vying for the license in a tough manner. The Board has sole discretion to accept or reject any and all applications received in accordance with the notice.  

With receipt of applications, the SEBON will evaluate them and grant a license to operate a stock exchange and two licenses to run commodity exchange markets.