सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. Banks and financial institutions will be allowed to operate hospitals with the aim of providing health services to financial sector employees, their families and the general public from the funds of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Nepal Rastra Bank, issuing ‘Consolidated Directive 2081’ on Monday, has stated that banks and financial institutions will now be allowed to operate hospitals. However, the National Bank has stated that the expenses incurred by banks and financial institutions on the basis of an agreement with any hospital for the promotion of their services cannot be included under this.
The National Bank has stated that CSR funds can be spent on basic health and hygiene related materials including construction, repair and reconstruction of physical infrastructure of government and community schools and colleges, scholarships given to poor, backward classes and disabled students studying in schools and colleges, educational materials such as computers, projectors, interactive smart boards, white/black boards, books and other furniture, fixtures and other materials required for schools, provision of clean drinking water in government and community schools and colleges, construction or improvement of toilets, sanitary pad dispensers, sanitizer dispensers, mask dispensers, first aid and other basic health and hygiene related materials, etc. .
Similarly, according to the National Bank, health equipment and supplies distributed to government and community health institutions, provision of clean drinking water, construction or improvement of toilets, basic health and hygiene supplies including sanitary pad dispensers, sanitizer dispensers, mask dispensers, collaboration with a hospital for the treatment of complex health problems of low-income citizens, life-saving supplies such as crutches, wheelchairs, medical beds, hearing aids, etc. required by people with disabilities from lower classes, free health camps and blood donation programs will be eligible for spending.
According to the National Bank, banks will be able to spend on urban forest development and tree plantation in public places after obtaining the necessary approval from the relevant body, informational materials providing information about the environment placed in public places after obtaining the necessary approval from the relevant body, CSR funds will be allowed to be spent on environmental projects to reduce and control pollution, infrastructure construction in rural areas to reduce environmental impact, infrastructure construction for the treatment of polluted river water, and waste management in the mountains.
The Nepal Rastra Bank has stated that the expenditure of up to Rs 100 per account deposited by banks and financial institutions in accounts opened under the ‘Open a Bank Account’ campaign can be separated from corporate social responsibility.
Banks and financial institutions will not be allowed to spend corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds on organizations affiliated with founding shareholders, members of the board of directors, and high management level officials. .
Also, the National Bank has stated that expenses incurred on activities such as marketing campaigns for the purpose of promoting the organization’s brand and expanding the market, sponsorship of various programs, support for political party programs, profit-making activities, programs conducted for a fee, rallies and advertisements cannot be included under CSR.
Similarly, commercial banks and national-level financial institutions will have to spend a minimum of 10 percent of the amount allocated to the Corporate Social Responsibility Fund in each province to encourage activities such as promoting financial literacy. The Rastra Bank has stated that a detailed institutional statement of the expenditure incurred in this way must be published on its website within 1 month of the end of each fiscal year.
The Rastra Bank has stated that banks and financial institutions must disclose the arrangement of such funds and the sectoral and provincial details of the expenditure incurred from it under the accounting notes of their annual financial statements.
The Rastra Bank has stated in a unified directive that, ‘The above-mentioned provision shall not be deemed to have obstructed the banks and financial institutions from spending up to 40 percent of the annual amount to be allocated to the Social Responsibility Fund from the profits of the fiscal years 2079/80 and 2080/81 for the reconstruction of public schools, public hospitals and health posts damaged due to the earthquake of Kartik 2080. .’
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्