July 28: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued the Unified Directives, amending the Unified Directives of 2079 BS. The amended directive reintroduces the provision of 'counter cyclical buffer,' which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in Fiscal Year 2076/77.

The counter cyclical buffer is aimed at managing the capital fund adequacy of banks. National level development banks and commercial banks are required to implement this provision based on the Capital Adequacy Framework, 2015. The buffer rate is determined by the difference between Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and net loan flow.

NRB explains that the counter cyclical buffer helps control excessive loan outflows and is crucial in managing potential crises in banks and financial institutions. This provision was introduced by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to protect financial institutions from risks and align their representation with the economy.

In addition, NRB has made it mandatory for banks and financial institutions to obtain the Permanent Account Number (PAN) for loans of Rs 2.5 million or above from borrowers, either in a lump sum or separately. Previously, PAN was required for loans of Rs 5 million or more.

Furthermore, the Unified Directive has set the lowest threshold of the interest rate corridor for deposit collection at 4.5 percent, a decrease of one percentage point. Additionally, the repo rate has also been reduced by 0.50 percentage points.