Two vacant posts at the boardroom of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank of the country, have finally been filled with the appointment of two independent directors after a gap of more than a month. The Cabinet meeting held on Sunday appointed Shriram Poudel and Ramji Regmi as board members of the NRB.

Poudel, the chief economic advisor to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was appointed as the board member for the second consecutive time after his tenure ended a month ago. Regmi was also with the NRB in past as its executive director. Before his entry into the central bank’s boardroom, Regmi was serving as the chairman of Nepal Stock Exchange, the only secondary market in the country.

These appointments were made at a time when the NRB was struggling to make various important policy level decisions due to absence of independent board directors.

The NRB has not been able to hold its board meeting since Poudel and Ram Hari Aryal retired from their posts about a month ago. NRB board directors are appointed for a period of five years.

The NRB cannot hold its board meeting without presence of at least one independent board director. The NRB boardroom comprises three independent directors. Of the three, Bal Krishna Man Singh was suspended on court’s order following controversy over his qualification.