Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions across Nepal to ensure banking services remain available on the upcoming public holiday marking the Holi festival and the House of Representatives member election scheduled for Falgun 21 (Thursday).
In an official circular, the central bank instructed all licensed banks and financial institutions to make necessary arrangements to keep their offices operational on the designated public holiday to avoid disruption in essential financial services. The move comes amid heightened economic activity linked to festival spending, government transactions, and election-related expenditures.
According to the directive, commercial banks assigned to conduct government transactions must ensure uninterrupted payment systems and facilitate revenue collection services on the same day. The instruction specifically emphasizes the continuation of government-related financial operations, including tax deposits, treasury transactions, and other public financial obligations.
NRB’s decision aims to maintain financial system stability, liquidity flow, and smooth functioning of Nepal’s digital banking ecosystem during the public holiday. With growing reliance on online banking, mobile banking, and real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems, uninterrupted access to banking services has become crucial for businesses, government agencies, and individual taxpayers.
The central bank’s proactive stance reflects its broader mandate to safeguard financial sector efficiency and macroeconomic stability. Maintaining operational banking channels during major public events is seen as essential to support Nepal’s economy, ensure smooth revenue mobilization, and strengthen confidence in the country’s financial infrastructure.
The directive is also expected to benefit businesses, import-export traders, SMEs, and government contractors who require timely payment settlements and tax compliance during the holiday period. Financial analysts say such measures contribute to improving ease of doing business in Nepal and reinforce regulatory responsiveness during peak economic activity.
Commercial banks designated for government transactions are now required to coordinate internally to deploy sufficient staff, maintain digital payment systems, and ensure treasury counters remain functional throughout the public holiday.
Further operational details are expected to be communicated by individual banks to their customers.
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