KATHMANDU, Aug 6: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Paudel has stated that the government is positive about lowering the customs tax on gold and silver.

The primary reason for the government's unpopularity in recent years is economic hardship. As these hardships increase for ordinary citizens, dissatisfaction with the government grows. This dissatisfaction can extend to the democratic system itself, despite democracy being the most advanced system of governance. In recent times, such dissatisfaction has led to nostalgia for past autocracies. Therefore, the government must play an effective role in driving the country's economic growth.

Finance Minister Barshaman Pun is the coordinator of the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 Steering Committee. In his capacity as the coordinator, Minister Pun has been playing an instrumental role in making this mega event a success. In this context, Republica caught up with Minister Pun to delve into the government's preparations and other pertinent matters related to the Investment Summit. Here are the highlights:

KATHMANDU, April 14: Since Barshaman Pun assumed the role of finance minister, government spending has increased significantly. The ministry has intensified expenditure on various non-budgeted projects by implementing fund transfers, program revisions, and other methods.

KATHMANDU, March 19: Minister for Finance Barshaman Pun tabled a proposal for discussion on the 'Customs Bill 2080 BS' in the Parliament on Tuesday.

KATHMANDU, Feb 8: Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Saran Mahat has stated that there is a growing willingness among foreign investors to invest in Nepal. He shared these observations during the third meeting of the Board of Directors for the Third Investment Conference 2081 BS, which took place at Singha Durbar on Thursday.

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has underlined the need for digitization of the customs administration to enhance its effectiveness.

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has admitted that the government has not met its revenue target for the current fiscal year. He said this while addressing a program organized in Kathmandu today on the occasion of International Customs Day.

KATHMANDU, Jan 25: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that more investment in unproductive sectors including the real estate and share market created challenges in the country's economy.

NUWAKOT, Jan 16: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the federal government will implement the projects worth more than Rs 30 million from the upcoming fiscal year (FY).

PATAN (Lalitpur), Jan 4: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said human settlements should not be constructed in the way that ruins employment and production opportunities.

KATHMANDU, Dec 12: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said there are many reasons for investors to invest in different sectors of Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Oct 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat held a meeting with Regional Vice President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for Asia and the Pacific Riccardo Puliti in Marrakesh, Morocco, during the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Bank.

KATHMANDU, Oct 9: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has left for Marrakech, Morocco, to participate in the annual meeting of the World Bank, scheduled to take place from October 9 to 15 under the banner of 'Global Action, Global Impact.'

KATHMANDU, Oct 6: Minister for Finance, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat asserted that the government allocated a budget for the current fiscal year 2023/24 attaching a high priority to the health sector.

KATHMANDU, Sept 26: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has called for the role of Multilateral Development Banks, (MDBs) including AIIB and other international organizations and stakeholders to ensure low-and middle-income countries’ access to finance.

KATHMANDU, Sept 12: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said there is immense potential for hydropower and tourism in Nepal.

TRISHULI (NUWAKOT), Sept 9: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has assured of the government's commitments to secure Chinese cooperation for the construction of a tunnel connecting Tokha of Kathmandu to Chhahare in Nuwakot.

KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the government was working to ease the share market adding that there are different reasons behind the ongoing bearish trend in the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse).

LAHAN, Aug 18: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Centre) coalition government will complete its full tenure.

MAHENDRANAGAR, Aug 17: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has accused main opposition CPN-UML of obstructing parliament by picking unnecessary issues.

Kathmandu, Aug 15: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the country's economy is improving in recent days but a positive outlook has not been developed among the general people and the private sector.

KATHMANDU, Aug 15: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has made it clear that the contracts of projects failing to report the progress will be terminated.

FinMin Mahat assures to clear the payments of construction entrepreneurs

KATHMANDU, Aug 14: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat on Sunday held a meeting with the bankers to discuss the current challenges seen in the banking system.

KATHMANDU, July 19: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat called on his Indian counterpart, Nirmala Sitaraman, and discussed mutual cooperation and bilateral relations on the sideline of the 3rd finance ministers and central bank governors of G-20 country meeting held in Gujrat on July 17-18.

KATHMANDU,  July 2: Finance Minister of Lumbini Province, Dhan Bahadur Maski, has said that schools opened in the name of martyrs should be treated equally, without any political prejudice.

KATHMANDU, May 11: The discussion on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill 2080 has ended in the House of Representatives. In the meeting on Wednesday, Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat said that the administrative cost will be reduced in the current budget.

The newly appointed Finance Minister, Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, is currently occupied with the process of formulating the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2023/24. He has assembled a team of experts with diverse expertise in the domestic and internal aspects of the economy and public finance to assist him in this endeavor.

KATHMANDU, May 7: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said the current economic problems could be resolved through the monetary policy review instead of the fiscal policy.

KATHMANDU, April 28: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that he has no idea about the decision to allocate an amount from the state coffers to the disqualified ex-Maoist combatants. The finance ministry has taken no official decision in this regard so far, according to him.

KATHMANDU, April 27: Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat has assured that the issue of high bank interest will be addressed through the upcoming monetary policy.

BIRATNAGAR, April 27: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has directed the customs employees to work honestly and transparently.

KATHMANDU, April 21: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has expanded his team.

FinMin Mahat meets delegation led by European Union envoy Deprez

KATHMANDU, March 31: Newly-appointed Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that it will take the entire state mechanism to get out of the financial crisis. He expressed this opinion while assuming office after taking the oath of office and secrecy on Friday.

KATHMANDU, Feb 12:  Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel said that the economic growth target of 8 percent set in the budget for the current fiscal year will not be met.

KATHMANDU, Jan 21: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Bishnu Prasad Poudel has urged the World Bank (WB) to increase budgetary assistance.

KATHMANDU, Dec 27: CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bishnu Prasad Poudel, who enjoys a merry time after being appointed as the finance minister for a third time, will have an uphill battle to lift the Nepali economy, which faces a number of challenges at present.

WASHINGTON DC, Oct 14: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has urged the World Bank to place Nepal on priority in its several initiatives such as conservation of the mountainous region, economic revival of rural areas and green corridor along river banks.

WASHINGTON DC, Oct 12: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma arrived in Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America (USA) on Tuesday evening in connection with participating in the Annual Conference of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has said that the country cannot become prosperous by importing products from foreign countries.

KATHMANDU, Sept 21: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has underscored the need for banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to increase investment in the industrial and manufacturing sector.

KATHMANDU, August 17: Deputy Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Dr Shalik Ram Pokhrel has been appointed as an expert advisor of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma.

KATHMANDU, August 10: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba called the ministers in his Cabinet and instructed them to reduce various taxes being levied on petroleum products after the price of petroleum products reached its highest in the last weeks of June.

KATHMANDU, August 3: The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected a writ petition demanding the formation of a high-level investigation against Finance Minister Janardan Sharma.

KATHMANDU, July 31: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has re-appointed Janardan Sharma as the finance minister on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

KATHMANDU, July 31:  Janardan Sharma, a leader of the CPN Maoist Center, will be re-appointed as the Minister for Finance. CPN Maoist Center’s Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reached Baluwatar to meet Prime Minister  Deuba to talk about Sharma’s re-appointment.

KATHMANDU, July 30: The parliamentary special committee set up to investigate the then Finance Minister Janardan Sharma, who resigned after it was alleged that during the preparation of the budget for the financial year 2022/23, unauthorized persons entered the Ministry of Finance and altered the tax rates to benefit certain families, has finally cleared him.

KATHMANDU, July 26: The truth about the use of ‘unauthorized persons’ by then finance minister Janardan Sharma to manipulate tax rates in the budget for the fiscal year 2022/23 is yet to come out.