सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. The issue of appointing the chairman of the Nepal Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal has also entered the parliament. Nepali Congress MP Ramhari Khatiwada has raised serious questions in the parliament regarding the appointment of the chairman of the board. MP Khatiwada, who participated in the parliamentary question-and-answer session with the Finance Minister on Monday, raised the issue of middlemen walking in the market with Rs 200 crore to make their people the chairman of the board.
MP Khatiwada said in the parliament meeting, “There is a lot of tension in the appointment of the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal and some middlemen have walked in the market with more than Rs 200 crore and it has been heard that even ministers have fallen for it.” I request you to clarify this as well.’, A complaint was also filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Friday, Jestha 32, alleging that corruption of five billion rupees was taking place in the appointment of the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal.
KP Oli, the chairman of the main ruling party, CPN (UML), also criticized the opposition for accusing him of taking five billion rupees from him at the Bhandara Party parliamentary party meeting. Now, this issue has officially entered the parliament.
After MP Khatiwada raised a serious question about middlemen walking in the market with 2 billion rupees and the Finance Minister also being lured by it, Finance Minister Pun was also forced to open his mouth about the appointment of the board chairman.
He said that the process of appointing the board chairman started during the previous Finance Minister’s term and there were legal obstacles in it. He also claimed that financial manipulation would not be allowed in the appointment of the board chairman. ‘The Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal is the regulatory body of the stock market, the regulatory body should be independent and professional, the government is clear on this.’, Minister Pun has said in Parliament.
He also claimed that he was involved in the process started by the previous government and that a sharp controversy has now arisen. ‘During the time of the previous Finance Minister, the government had formed a three-member committee under the coordination of the Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, including the Finance Secretary ex officio and an expert. The committee had asked for applications for the selection of the chairman, and 19 people had applied. Out of them, 5 people were shortlisted. “Out of the five people who were called for presentation, only two came,” he said. “Since the law clearly states that at least three qualified candidates should be recommended, the committee has been embarrassed and has sent a letter to the government’s legal advisor, the Attorney General, asking what can be done.”
He also said that they are currently looking for ways to send a chairman to the board as soon as possible. Stating that the Securities Act clearly stipulates that the committee must recommend three names out of five, Minister Pun mentioned that the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office has been sought on whether the committee should recommend one of Santosh Narayan Shrestha and Mukti Narayan Shrestha, who participated in the presentation, or one of the remaining three, or all five shortlisted candidates.
Minister Pun claimed that there was manipulation in the media by various interest groups regarding the appointment of the board chairman, and that the propaganda linking his name and the Prime Minister’s name was not true. There have been reports of pressure from a particular leader. This is not true. I believe that professionally competent people are appointed,’ he said, ‘No matter how many allegations and accusations there are, in some places linking top leaders, in some places linking me and the Prime Minister, there is no truth in this matter.’
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