Khom Raj Kharel

The capacity of foreign trade to substantially raise GDP via increased exports, heightened competition, and enhanced efficiency holds the key to bolstering economic growth and prosperity. Recognizing this transformation underscores the importance of shaping Nepal’s economic policies and development strategies for achieving lasting sustainable growth. The objective of this study is to investigate how trade openness has affected Nepal’s economic growth, given its importance in the nation’s overall development. By analyzing the correlation between trade openness and economic expansion, policymakers and researchers can uncover the role of international trade in driving Nepal’s economic advancement. The research methodology involves constructing a regression model using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag bound test, with variables analyzed in growth form and subjected to the Augmented Dickey-Fuller and residual tests. The study’s results indicate a strong positive relationship between trade openness and economic growth in Nepal from 1975 to 2020, with a long-term equilibrium observed. Short-term deviations from equilibrium are quickly corrected at 38.23% annually, highlighting the importance of balanced export and import growth for economic development. The study concludes that trade openness drives Nepal’s economic growth for sustainable development and environmental protection. It offers valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance economic growth and overall development of the country.

This study aims to explore the relationship between economic growth and performance in Nepal, identifying key drivers for growth. Studying the nexus between economic growth and economic performance in Nepal is crucial for understanding how these factors interact within the nation’s specific context. Growth of gross domestic product (GDP) is represented as the primary indicator for evaluating economic performance, reflecting the overall well-being of a nation's economy. Economic performance encompasses a broader spectrum, including indicators such as employment rate, inflation, income distribution and overall economic stability. Using E-Views 10, a descriptive and analytical research approach has been applied to analyze time series secondary data from 1990–2021 using an econometric model. This study found that faster-growing economies typically experience increased jobs, higher investment, more exports, and often lower inflation. These relationships are part of a long-run equilibrium relationship. In the event of an economic shock disrupting this equilibrium, the economy tends to naturally return to the equilibrium over time. This study found that short-term causality running from lagged GDP, gross capital formation (GCF), exports, human development index (HDI), and employment ratio influence immediate GDP growth. These variables wield a short-term influence over GDP growth; for instance, a sudden surge in exports can prompt a temporary boost in economic growth. This indicates that there is a long-term sustained link between GDP growth and the independent variables rather than merely a short-term event.

Nepal’s non-life insurance sector holds immense potential to drive economic growth and boost the nation towards a secure financial future. Embracing this potential is a goal and a pivotal catalyst for substantial change. The study aims to determine how the non-life insurance sector can drive economic growth in Nepal. The methodology of this study uses quantitative analysis of financial data from 2013 to 2022 from 20 non-life insurance companies in Nepal and econometric modeling to assess the sector’s impact on economic growth. Using Panel EGLS (Estimated Generalized Least Squares) regression analysis, the findings show that with one-unit increments in total investment, total premium, and total tax paid, GDP is expected to change by approximately 591.52, –920.54 and 8,470.65 units, respectively. In contrast, the coefficient for total profit is –910.3477 and is not statistically significant. The study’s main conclusion implies that the insurance sector contributes to the country’s economic growth by investing in productive activities and paying taxes to the government. Still, it also imposes a cost on the economy by charging high premiums to the insured. The profitability of the insurance sector does not affect the GDP, which indicates that the insurance sector is competitive and efficient or that other factors determine the GDP besides the insurance sector. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the non-life insurance sector’s role in Nepal’s economic development and informs evidence-based policy decisions.

This study aims to examine the degree of financial literacy and practices of financial knowledge among MBA students in Nepal. Four prominent universities were selected for study: Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University, and Purbanchal University. The descriptive and analytical research approach was applied to analyze the data. Data were collected through questionnaires from 320 students by using convenience and stratified sampling methods. The analysis was conducted using the SPSS software system. The results highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing financial behavior and literacy among MBA students, emphasizing the importance of education, familial influence, and media exposure in shaping financial attitudes and decision-making. The study delves into several key aspects of financial behavior, influence, attitude, literacy, and knowledge sources among MBA students. Notably, respondents displayed positive financial behaviors such as reading for knowledge enhancement and prudent spending practices. Parental influence emerged as the most significant factor shaping financial decisions, followed by media and internet exposure. Respondents generally exhibited a favorable financial outlook and demonstrated understanding in various financial literacy domains, though areas for improvement, particularly in investment risk comprehension, were identified. The study shows how education, family influence, and media exposure affect MBA student’s financial think, how people handle finance, like their education and where they get information from. This is seen as reflected in financial literacy scores ranging from 1.43 to 3.86, with an average of 2.405 and a standard deviation of 0.449, suggesting below-average scores and reduced unpredictability.

This study aims to examine the administrative service delivery practices within the local government of Nepal and explore the intricate perceptions of the interplay between governance, service delivery, and citizens. The objectives include understanding the contextual elements that shape states, addressing concerns of developing nations, emphasizing service delivery, prioritizing citizen viewpoints, and tackling governance issues. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach grounded on post-positivism, the study employs purposeful sampling to select rural municipalities in Nepal. Data collection involves a quantitative institutional survey to assess the current state of public administrative services, with survey respondents comprising service providers and citizens. The respondents reported higher levels of satisfaction with the efficiency, timeliness, and resource availability of administrative services. However, the study also revealed gaps and disparities in the knowledge and perceptions of administrative practices and governance among different respondent groups and ecological regions. Emphasizing the significant advantages of collaboration, decentralization, people-centric development, and meaningful engagement, the study highlights the need for further research and policy interventions to enhance public service delivery and governance of local government in Nepal.

Studying public-private partnership practices in textbook publishing and distribution in Nepal offers insights into effective strategies for improving education quality through collaboration between government and private sectors. The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in enhancing education quality through improved textbook publishing and distribution mechanisms. The methodology employed in this study integrates descriptive and explanatory research approaches. It utilizes a structured questionnaire comprising 40 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate different dimensions of PPPs concerning school textbook publication and distribution in Nepal. In this study, representatives from private organizations involved in textbook publishing and distribution in Nepal were interviewed. Sampling is conducted through random selection from a pool of 390 private organizations, aiming to ensure representation across various sectors. The model developed from this analysis had a strong explanatory power, with the identified independent variables explaining up to 48% of the variability in improving education quality through PPPs. The study concludes that emphasizing transparency, accountability, and effective communication within public-private partnerships significantly contributes to enhancing education quality through improved textbook publishing and distribution mechanisms, supported by strong correlations between these factors and overall education quality, as revealed by advanced statistical methods.

This study aims to analyze the reliability of Nepal’s industrial policies, focusing on the effects of macroeconomic variables on implementation and outcomes. This paper assesses Nepal’s industrial policies, emphasizing the need for improvements, export promotion, and human capital development while recognizing the importance of strategic planning and context-specific approaches for economic growth, stability, and development. The analytical and descriptive approaches have been applied to analyze the data by collecting secondary data sources that include official publications, which encompass 47 time series variables from 1974 to 2020. The findings provide mixed evidence for the economic impacts of liberalization, with exports and liberalization driving overall GDP growth. In contrast, other factors like economic openness, tourism, and their relationship with industrial GDP remain statistically insignificant. The paper indicates that remittances and investment have the most substantial impact on GDP, raising it by 1.86 and 1.21 units per unit increase, respectively. Exports have a moderate impact on industrial GDP (0.403 units). Export-oriented industries and tourism lack significant associations with either type of GDP. Liberalization significantly boosted both GDP and industrial GDP, with an increase of 179465.3 and 49595.62 units, respectively. Imports also jumped post-liberalization, driven by higher remittances as 1.215 units per unit increase. This study on industrial policies in developing economies, focusing on Nepal, adds valuable insights. The findings can ensure policymaking, boost economic growth, and strengthen Nepal’s industrial sector.

This study investigates how various service quality dimensions affect customer satisfaction in commercial banks across Nepal. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of key service quality dimensions (responsiveness, empathy, assurance, communication, and overall service quality) on customer satisfaction in commercial banks in Nepal. A survey-based quantitative approach was employed, collecting data from 399 customers in Nepal. The study utilizes multiple linear regression analysis and hypothesis testing to determine the relationship between these factors and customer satisfaction. The results indicate that communication, assurance, and service quality positively influence customer satisfaction, with a moderate mean score of 2.317949 out of 5 and moderate variability (SD = 0.479612). These three factors are key contributors, accounting for 41.5% of the variation in satisfaction, whereas empathy and responsiveness have weaker or insignificant impacts. The study concludes that enhancing communication and service quality is crucial for improving customer satisfaction, which is essential for sustainable growth in Nepal’s financial sector.

This study aims to examine the relationship between CO2 emissions, forest area, and GDP in each South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) country. This study uses a panel dataset that spans South Asian countries from 1990 to 2020 for econometric analysis. The Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) method adds annual forested area to the regression model. The study results show that India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka must prioritize decoupling CO2 emissions from economic growth, as their strong correlation shows significant environmental costs of development. Although Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives are in a slightly better position, they need strategies to manage emissions as they progress economically. The study once again revealed a relationship between a 1% increase in GDP and a 0.68% rise in CO2 emissions, whereas a 1% increase in forest area led to a slightly higher 0.79% rise in CO2 over the period. The hypotheses testing results confirm a positive correlation between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions in SAARC countries, indicating that emissions rise as economies expand. Additionally, a negative relationship was found between forest area and carbon dioxide emissions, where larger forest coverage is linked to lower emissions. The conclusion is that an increase in forest area is associated with a relatively small increase in CO2 emissions, indicating that the relationship between forest area and CO2 emissions is less pronounced compared to GDP.