The dialogue between microfinance victims protesting and the government to address demands has resumed for the second day at the Ministry of Finance. The victims began an indefinite mass hunger strike at Maiti Ghar on Tuesday, demanding the implementation of the Supreme Court’s directive. The government has formed a five-member negotiation team led by Mahesh Acharya, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, to work towards resolving the issue.
15 Shrawan, Kathmandu – After failing to reach a conclusion on Thursday, the negotiations were restarted on Friday evening. The talks at the Ministry of Finance included representatives from the government negotiation team and the protesting victim groups. The Ministry of Finance claimed that the dialogue held on Thursday between the formed negotiation team and the microfinance victims was constructive and solution-oriented.
The victims of microfinance institutions initiated a collective indefinite hunger strike at Maiti Ghar starting Tuesday. This action demands that the government implement the Supreme Court’s directive. The court had issued a directive mandating the government, Nepal Rastra Bank, and the Microfinance Bankers’ Association to carry out the agreement to resolve the problems faced by microfinance victims.
Despite the Supreme Court’s instruction to enforce the decision, the government showed little concern, leading the victims to launch the protest. After the hunger strike began, the government, through a ministerial decision on Thursday, established the negotiation team chaired by Mahesh Acharya of the Ministry of Finance. Other members include Vinod Kumar Bhattarai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law; Suresh Panthi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; and Ramu Paudel, Executive Director, Nepal Rastra Bank. The committee’s member secretary is Bolraj Acharya, Under Secretary, Ministry of Finance.
