KATHMANDU, May 17: Loans issued by banks and financial institutions (BFIs) for imports surged by 32 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, even as BFIs struggled to expand their overall loan portfolio to the private sector.
According to a report by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), BFIs had issued import loans worth Rs 165.24 billion as of mid-April, compared to Rs 125.18 billion recorded in mid-July 2025.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco says quarterly profits up as crude price...
In contrast, loans to the real estate sector declined due to sluggish transactions. NRB data shows a negative growth of 3.5 percent in real estate lending during the review period, with the loan amount falling to Rs 266.37 billion from Rs 275.95 billion.
Residential home loans of up to Rs 30 million, however, rose during the same period. Disbursement under this category reached Rs 458.75 billion, up from Rs 417.56 billion.
Overall, BFIs’ private sector lending grew by only 5.7 percent in nine months—well below NRB’s target of 12 percent for the fiscal year. With additional loans of Rs 311.95 billion, total lending has now reached Rs 5.809 trillion.
