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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged the general public to refrain from non-essential travel and stay in safe areas.

His appeal comes amidst the Weather Forecasting Division’s prediction of heavy and widespread rainfall across the country while directing the security personnel to remain on alert.

He also urged the concerned authorities of the federal, provincial and local governments to remain active in minimizing the damage caused by potential disasters including floods, landslides and inundation.

Taking to social media, Prime Minister Oli said, “The Meteorological Forecasting Division has predicted heavy rain in various parts of the country this afternoon. He urged the people to stay informed through updates from the security agencies to take necessary precautions to avoid monsoon-induced disasters. I would like to request all to avoid unnecessary travel and direct the security agencies to remain on alert.”

Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority had urged the people to be cautious, saying that there is a possibility of heavy rainfall in various parts of the country from July 19-21.  

The year 2025 has been a roller coaster ride for the development sector. Some development partners have discontinued; others have downsized and focused on certain geographies/sectors and others still have changed course completely. What is clear is aid is not what it used to be, the pot is shrinking and shrinking fast. Developing countries must find alternative sources of finance to fund development outcomes—and strategically leverage grants and concessional capital to maximise financing of development needs. The British Embassy Kathmandu has been designing and implementing financial instruments that unlock and mobilise public and private sector finance to support economic growth, private sector development and climate change mitigation.

Nepal is a unique country and has been on a unique development trajectory. Nepal received more than $10bn in remittance in the last fiscal year supporting a positive macro-economic outlook. Still, challenges and vulnerability remain. Dependence on remittance has, sometimes, taken attention away from private sector development and local job creation. Nepali businesses are not adequately integrated with global value chains and attract the lowest levels of foreign investment in South Asia. This limits access to foreign partnerships, technology and know-how. Nepal’s tourism sector, for example, remains stagnant, largely due to a lack of innovation and market access. Despite this and other obvious challenges in the Nepali economy, there are attractive business and investment opportunities across several sectors which remain untapped.

Access to finance is critical to ensuring inclusive growth in Nepal. A study conducted by the British Embassy calculated the funding gap from formal financial channels to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at over $950m. More than 80 percent of the SMEs rely on informal financing sources and almost 60 percent rely on family and personal savings to fund their financing needs. Even on the formal financing side, SMEs in Nepal have very limited options for raising capital outside of collateralised bank loans. This puts many women, for example, at a disadvantage when so few of them own property or have access to savings. Limited access to finance also stifles growth, innovation and job creation. While the recent fiscal and monetary policies are more supportive of the private sector and SMEs in Nepal, SME development requires strong collaboration between all stakeholders—the government, development partners and the private sector.

Many developing economies like Nepal struggle to attract foreign investments or local capital into high risk/high rewards investment opportunities. Bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions (DFIs) are keen to invest in Nepal as is shown by the number of DFIs active in the country and those that are keeping a close watch for the right investment opportunities. Bridging the gap between interest and investment requires all stakeholders to join forces to mitigate challenges and find and develop opportunities. Designing innovative financial structures will be key in terms of crowding in large amounts of private sector capital.

Blended finance platforms invite the government, development partners, and development finance institutions (DFIs) to collaborate and unlock access to finance. Blended finance strategically uses development finance (grants) to mobilise local and international private capital (commercial capital) into strategic sectors. Further, a reform-oriented public sector that builds a supportive business environment through policy stability and effective partnerships is essential to achieving sustainable development outcomes. 

The British Embassy Kathmandu has been using a blended finance approach to support access to finance in Nepal. Funds such as Business Oxygen and Dolma Impact Fund achieved the dual goal of supporting development outcomes and enhancing returns to investors. International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank Group, has used UK official development assistance (ODA) to de-risk investments and mobilise finance for SMEs in Nepal. The right financial structuring can help further reduce the gap between demand for capital and supply of capital in the growing SME ecosystem.

Building on previous experience, the British Embassy is establishing Nepal in Business—Catalytic Finance to unlock new sources of capital for SMEs, from the Private Equity and Venture Capital (PEVC) space and financial institutions. This financing facility will be managed by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank- FMO. Demonstration effects from blended finance facilities—investment leveraged, strengthened capacity of the financial sector, and shifting understanding of risks—can be catalytic in this ecosystem. The facility is also expected to create well above 10,000 new jobs.

The author is the Development Director at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nepal

“Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done”. This is what Lord Hewart, the then chief justice of England, said while pronouncing the verdict in the case of Rex v Sussex Justices, in Sussex in 1924. A century later, this aphorism coming from a court of law in Sussex has become a law of sorts onto itself. 

With the executive and the legislative falling miserably short of public expectations by landing in one scandal after another, the sovereign people have been pinning high hopes on another vital organ of the state—the judiciary—for quite some time. In this day and age of information and communication technology, where the people have information and knowledge at their fingertips, even the hallowed chambers of law cannot escape public scrutiny. 

People and the fourth estate—the free media—split hairs over judgments coming from the court of law, which is actually good for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. If it is bad for the rule by law, then so be it. At a time when the image of the executive and the legislature has taken a huge beating, the judiciary is under tremendous strain to maintain the sanctity of state institutions. The final interpreter of the Constitution can shoulder this task of Himalayan magnitude only by keeping itself above controversies galore. 

As they say, action speaks louder than words. Talking about action, a division bench of the Supreme Court has issued a verdict in a case related to ancestral property, stating that daughters married before 1 Oct 2015 cannot lay claim to ancestral property. Through this judgment, the court has put to rest a long-pending dispute over ancestral property, at least for now.  

As indicated earlier, the onus is on the top court to remain squeaky clean by minimizing extraneous influence to the maximum possible extent. For quite some time, the judiciary has been courting controversy over the appointment of justices close to a party or the other. It is a given that such appointments increase the risk of miscarriage of justice that can lead to all sorts of unwanted consequences for the country and the people. 

Some lay people, including skeptics, predicting judgments based on the benches hearing the cases is no good tiding—neither for the judiciary, nor for the state as a whole. As the top court of the country continues to deal with piles and piles of important cases ranging from property disputes to the protection of national boundaries and more, here’s wishing that an infallible sense of justice prevails in the hallowed chambers, driven by international conventions, precedents, our customs, traditions, societal norms and values as well as our own charter. 

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has made it clear that her political ambition is to lead the party and eventually become the prime minister. She has signaled that current party leader KP Sharma Oli should hand over leadership to her, suggesting that, if necessary, a healthy internal election could decide the matter.

The UML leadership is under pressure to make key decisions at its upcoming statute convention, scheduled for next month in Kathmandu. Oli raised the issue of Bhandari’s recent political activities at the ongoing UML Secretariat meeting. “Her announcement to return to politics has increased polarization within the party,” Oli said. “To stop further division, we must move forward in a united manner. The time has come for an institutional decision.”

Oli added that Bhandari’s decision to return to party politics has now become a subject for internal party discussion, and a conclusion will be reached through dialogue. He is of the view that Bhandari needs to clearly communicate her goals and intentions. 

Bhandari has been expanding her political presence through the Madan Bhandari Foundation and recently launched her personal website to publicize her activities.

Meanwhile, the government’s image has been tarnished by corruption scandals involving cabinet ministers. Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Raj Kumar Gupta, resigned following the release of an audio clip allegedly linking him to a bribery deal. Bhagawati Neupane has since replaced him. Similarly, a video implicating Land Reform Minister Balaram Adhikari has surfaced, though it remains unverified whether the clip is authentic or AI-generated.

Despite Prime Minister Oli’s declared policy of zero tolerance toward corruption, the government is under fire for failing to contain such scandals. Over recent months, corruption cases have multiplied, further eroding public trust in the political system. Many argue that coalition governments, by nature, are more vulnerable to corruption than single-party administrations.

Adding to the government’s woes, two coalition partners—Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Nagarik Unmukti Party—have withdrawn support. While this may not have immediate national implications, it signals a weakening of the government’s political base. As a result, the ruling coalition has lost its majority in the National Assembly (Upper House), potentially complicating the passage of key legislation. The land reform bill lies at the heart of the dispute between JSP and the government. Notably, even NC and UML remain divided on several key provisions of the bill.

There is speculation that Prime Minister Oli may reshuffle underperforming ministers to boost the government’s performance. Some ministers have publicly stated that during their swearing-in last year, the prime minister had indicated they might be removed after one year.

The Oli government has now completed its first year in office, with a mixed record. While it has managed to ensure relative stability, it has been criticized for failing to initiate the long-promised constitutional amendments. In terms of governance, little progress has been made, although anti-corruption bodies like the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) have uncovered major scandals. Notably, the CIAA has filed corruption charges against former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, a move many view as politically motivated.

Ministers continue to highlight their achievements publicly, but the general public remains unimpressed by their performance.

Like in previous years, capital expenditure once again failed to meet targets. As usual, a last-minute rush in the final month of the fiscal year, commonly referred to as Asare Bikash (July Development), led to potentially inefficient spending. Such practices often open doors for corruption, yet no effective mechanism exists to monitor these expenditures.

Intra-party tensions have also escalated within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). Party Chairperson Rajendra Lingden has removed Navaraj Subedi from the Disciplinary Committee and Sagun Kumar Lawati as the party spokesperson. Senior leader Dhawal Shumsher Rana has publicly criticized the move and is positioning himself to challenge Lingden in the upcoming leadership contest. The once-vocal royalist movement has lost momentum, and the RPP is now reassessing its direction. Some leaders believe that if former King Gyanendra Shah is not genuinely committed—having reportedly contributed only Rs 10m—it is time to drop the monarchy agenda and focus solely on promoting Hindu nationalism. Ironically, the royalist revival campaign has ended up dividing the RPP itself.

The government has launched parallel investigations into two controversies: the disappearance of individuals during Prime Minister Oli’s official visit to Spain, and the leaked audio implicating former Minister Raj Kumar Gupta in a bribery case. Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, confirmed that an inquiry is underway into reports that several people—outside the official delegation—who traveled with the prime minister to Spain did not return.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) claims that 2.5m people have signed a petition asserting that the legal cases against party leader Rabi Lamichhane are politically motivated. The party also reports raising over Rs 4m in public donations for Lamichhane. Party workers continue to campaign door-to-door to rally support.

In a significant legal development, a division bench of the Supreme Court ruled that daughters married before 1 Oct 2015, are not entitled to ancestral property. This verdict settles a long-standing legal dispute, at least for now. The judiciary, however, remains under public scrutiny for alleged political affiliations in judicial appointments.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to restore the trade routes and rescue stranded Nepalis after the Rasuwa landslide severed connectivity between Nepal and China. The government has requested China to install a bailey bridge before the Dashain festival.