Talks Between Government and Microfinance Victims End Without Resolution; Discussions to Resume Tomorrow

The first round of talks between the government and protesting microfinance victims concluded on Thursday. Led by Mahesh Acharya, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the negotiation committee decided to hold further discussions on Friday. The victims have been staging a collective hunger strike at Maiti Ghar since Tuesday, demanding the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s directive, which they claim has not been implemented.

The ministry reported that the initial talks were positive and solution-oriented. Although no conclusive agreement was reached during this session, a follow-up meeting has been scheduled for Friday to continue the dialogue. The Supreme Court had issued a directive instructing the government, Nepal Rastra Bank, and the Microfinance Bankers Association to collaboratively address the victims’ grievances based on mutual agreement.

Despite the court’s directive, the victims have been protesting for several months due to the government’s lack of action. Following the commencement of the hunger strike, the government formed a ministerial-level team on Thursday, appointing Joint Secretary Mahesh Acharya of the Ministry of Finance as the head of the negotiation team. The committee includes Vinod Kumar Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Law; Suresh Panthi, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs; and Ramu Paudel, Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank. Bolraj Acharya, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, serves as the committee’s member secretary.