Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel Appointed 18th Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank

Nepal has appointed Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel as the 18th Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, the country's central bank and principal monetary authority, on 20 May 2025, following a cabinet decision on the recommendation of a search committee led by Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel.

Dr. Poudel succeeds Maha Prasad Adhikari, whose five-year term ended on 4 April 2025; Deputy Governor Neelam Dhungana Timilsina had been acting governor in the interim. The appointment followed a recommendation from a three-member search committee and came after weeks of disagreement between the governing coalition partners, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, as well as legal challenges to the selection process.

BACKGROUND

The incoming governor is an economist who previously served as vice-chairperson of the National Planning Commission, chaired the board of governors of ICIMOD, and worked as an economic adviser at the International Labour Organization.

Nepal Rastra Bank is responsible for setting and implementing monetary policy, regulating and supervising the country's commercial banks, development banks, and finance companies, managing foreign exchange reserves, and maintaining broader financial system stability.