Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: Chairman of Himalayan Bank (HBL) Prachanda Bahadur Shrestha has been unanimously elected as the Chairman of Confederation of Banks and Financial Institutions (CFI) Nepal (CBFIN). The post of chairman of Nabil Bank was vacant after the outgoing chairman Upendra Poudel stepped down from the post of chairman of Nabil Bank last week.

According to the CBFIN Statute, the office bearers or members of the Executive Committee shall automatically terminate upon the exition of the Board of Directors of the banks and financial institutions represented by them.

Shrestha was unanimously nominated for the remaining term by the 15th meeting of the working committee held on January 20 under the chairmanship of Acting President of CNI Rajesh Upadhyay.

Shrestha, who has been active in the Nepali banking sector for more than two decades, had previously served as the General Secretary of the Executive Committee.

“The newly appointed Chairman Shrestha has given me an opportunity to lead a leading institution of the banking sector like CBFIN with confidence and confidence in him,” said Chairman Shrestha.

He also expressed his commitment to keep the legacy of Cibfin built by its founding chairman and current President Emeritus Pawan Kumar Golyan and former Chairman Upendra Poudel as a catalyst for the sustainable development of the banking sector.

He expressed concern over the indispensable and sensitive sector like banking which is the foundation of Nepal’s economy becoming challenging and unsafe today.

Chairman Shrestha said that the working committee will move ahead by giving top priority to working hand in hand and close collaboration with the government, the Ministry of Finance, the regulatory bodies including Nepal Rastra Bank and the entire private sector for the promotion of common interests of the banking sector which is linked to the lives of millions of people and the future of the nation.

The 16th meeting of the Executive Committee held today under the chairmanship of newly-appointed Chairman Prachanda Bahadur Shrestha unanimously elected Manoj Kumar Goel, chairman of NMB Bank and Raman Nepal, chairman of Laxmi Sunrise Bank as treasurer.

The post of general secretary was vacant after the then general secretary Prachanda Bahadur Shrestha was nominated to the post of chairman.

The post of treasurer of NIC Asia Bank has been vacant after the then chairman Tulsiram Agrawal resigned from the post of chairman of the bank.

Prior to this, Goel has served as a member of the Executive Committee of Nabil Bank, then Bank of Kathmandu, Clean Energy Development Bank and then Nepal Merchant Banking and Finance Company.

Prior to this, Treasurer Nepal has served as a director of Nepal Rastra Bank, director of Laxmi Bank and executive director of Citizen Investment Trust.

According to the CBFIN statute, the post of chairperson, general secretary and treasurer will be nominated from among the members of the concerned group in case the post of office bearer of the executive committee falls vacant and if it is not possible, the members will be nominated from among the chairpersons of the banks and financial institutions.