KATHMANDU:  Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) new Governor post several aspirants have intensified lobbying to get the coveted position. Governor Adhikari is completing his term on 2025, April 6. The cabinet has formed a Governor Recommendation Committee under Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel to recommend candidates to succeed Governor Adhikari.

As per Article 15 of the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2001, the committee has to recommend three persons renowned in the field of economic, monetary, banking, finance, commerce, management and commercial law, and from among the deputy governors. “The Council of Ministers shall, out of the names recommended, one person to the Office of Governor,

The new governor will replace Maha Prasad Adhikari, who is set to retire on April 6, 2025. currently deputy governors—Neelam Dhungana Timsina or Bam Bahadur Mishra—is expected to be among the three recommended candidates. Both are members of the seven-member NRB Board of Directors, which was formed under Governor Adhikari’s leadership in April 2020.

The other two candidates will likely be experts from banking, finance, corporate law, or economic management, selected for their experience and contributions to Nepal’s financial sector.

Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari has left all his work and focused his entire attention on returning to the governorship. Governor Adhikari, whose 5-year term is coming to an end since the last week of Chaitra, has focused his entire attention on returning to the Rastra Bank.

In particular, during this period, he should focus on making a future work plan to make the Rastra Bank effective. However, he has been visiting the power center by sitting on 'force leave' with a plan to return to the post. Adhikari was appointed as the governor by the Council of Ministers on Chaitra 21, 2076.

Oli, who was the Prime Minister in 2076, appointed Adhikari as the governor. Adhikari is also said to have high-level relations with the UML leadership. For this reason, there is speculation in the market that Adhikari may return to the governorship. Amidst this suspicion, this suspicion has been further strengthened after information about the meeting with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister came out in the middle of the night.

With the Congress dominating the governor recommendation committee, there is a strong possibility that Neelam Dhungana's name may be removed from the governor's list. Although Dhungana's name has been recommended as a possible governor, there is an understanding that her name will be removed because she is close to former President Bhandari. If the Congress dominates, Nabil Bank CEO Gyanendra Dhungana is almost certain to become the 18th governor.