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Monetary Policy 2017/18

25 Percent Loan for Priority Areas

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Monetary Policy 2017/18
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July 10: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has made it mandatory for banks to loan out a minimum of 25 percent of their total loan to the areas of priority. Unveiling the Monetary Policy for Fiscal Year 2017/18 on July 9, the central bank said that the lending requirement has been raised from 20 percent to 25 percent.

According to the monetary policy, commercial banks will have to invest 10 percent of their total lending capacity in agriculture sector, 5 percent in hydropower projects, 5 percent in tourism and the remaining 5 percent in other priority areas.

NRB has said that the monetary policy will complement the budget of the upcoming fiscal year and will also help in regulating the banking and financial sector. However, banks have expressed displeasure toward the provision to regulate them.

While unveiling the monetary policy, NRB Governor Dr Nepal said that the high economic growth, low inflation and balance of payment have ignited new hopes in the economic sector of the country. Stating that the monetary policy is relevant in the present context, the central bank claimed that it would help in maintaining price stability.

It should be recalled that some of the strong measures taken by the central bank in the past had caused problems for the private sector as well as banks and financial institutions (BFIs).

The Monetary Policy for Fiscal Year 2017/18 has a target to keep the rate of increase in money supply within the limit of 18 percent. Keeping in view the general demand in the FY 2017/18 on the basis of projected economic growth rate and inflation rate, the total domestic credit is expected to rise by 27.8 percent. 

Meanwhile, the central bank has increased the refinance fund from Rs 10.84 billion to Rs 20 billion. The central bank has made it clear that it will use its profit for this purpose.

NRB has also decided to provide re-loan to the hydropower projects in priority list from Rs 5 billion allocated for the Economic Revival Fund. NRB believes that this move would help the hydropower projects of strategic importance to obtain loan at subsidized rate.

Likewise, the monetary policy has removed the mandatory provision for banks to provide minimum 2 percent loan to the deprived sector.

BFIs will be entitled to get Rs 10 million interest-free loan for a period of one year from the central bank for opening new accounts in remote places. The BFIs which expand their branches to places where there are no banking service will get Rs 10 million interest-free loan for 2500 new accounts. This amount will be provided to such BFI’s for helping the government’s campaign to open account for every Nepali citizen.

 

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