Loans were issued mainly for the construction of infrastructure, hydropower plants and hotels.

The transaction amount jumped 13.85 percent to Rs 934.40 million.

Officials cited wider restrictions on the import of luxury goods and a rise in exports for the drop.

Nepal also asked Bangladesh to allow the export of local cardamom, yarn and broom grass (amriso) without any hurdles during the first day of trade talks.

A crunch in loanable funds, government indifference and festive season spending have adversely affected the secondary market.

Spending totalled Rs18.37 billion out of the Rs408 billion budget as of mid-October.

Margin trading is a platform that enables investors to borrow money from their broker to buy shares.

The response to margin trading was lukewarm as well.

The ministry has recommended a minimum support price of Rs26 per kg for common paddy.

There are 6.7 million people with ATM cards, up from 4.13 million six years ago, says Nepal Rastra Bank.

Bankers say credit demand swelled during the festival season to purchase consumer items.

The central bank enforced the directive aiming to extend anti-money laundering measures to non-banking sectors too.

The government has set a target of 8.5 percent growth to make Nepal a middle-income country by 2030.

Investors lost Rs500 million in the book value of their investment portfolio.

The government currently offers subsidy equivalent to 75 percent of the premium amount.