KATHMANDU : Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) Chairman Dr Gopal Prasad Bhatta has said the regulator is working to make Nepal’s capital market more organised, transparent, credible and investment-friendly.
Speaking at a meeting of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Bhatta said SEBON was holding discussions with concerned authorities and market institutions on the issuance, listing, operation and regulation of securities, as well as measures to protect investors’ interests.
He said the board was also preparing policy and legal reforms to improve the primary market, including introducing checklists and other requirements for companies seeking to issue shares to the public.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Mahesh Acharya said the ministry plans to regulate and strengthen the capital market through a 21-point action plan.
During the meeting, lawmaker Parshuram Tamang stressed the need to keep the capital market active alongside the broader economy. Lawmaker Sushil Khadka, meanwhile, said the large number of investor associations had made it difficult to identify the market’s actual problems.
Representatives of investor groups and market institutions called for timely amendments to existing laws and regulations and improvements to the market’s technical infrastructure.
Hari Bahadur KC, president of the Nepal Share Market Investors Association, called for timely updates to laws and regulations governing SEBON.
Share market investor Ajay Kumar Shrestha said the practice of allowing individuals to operate as both stockbrokers and investors should be ended to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Khagendra Raj Kandel, general secretary of the Nepal Share Market Investors’ Association, said Nepal’s stock market should be modernised in line with strategic plans and practices adopted by international capital markets.
Kanchan Sapkota, chief executive officer of CDS and Clearing, said the institution was working to streamline operations through information technology.
Liladhar Subedi, officiating chief executive officer of Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), said recent efforts had been made to address technical problems at the stock exchange.
Nitesh Kumar Agrawal of the Stock Broker Association of Nepal (SBAN) called for the 10-unit share allocation provision in the primary market to be implemented promptly.
The discussions focused on improving market regulation, strengthening investor protection, addressing technical challenges and modernising Nepal’s capital market infrastructure.
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