Kathmandu- Dr. Bishwo Poudel has been appointed as the 18th Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. The Cabinet made the decision on Tuesday.

A committee led by Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel earlier had recommended three candidates: acting Governor Neelam Dhungana, former Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai, and Dr. Poudel. 

The government chose Dr. Poudel, who was the committee’s top choice.

Dr. Poudel resigned from the recommendation committee after the government assured him the governor role. The government then replaced him with former Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and expert member Poshraj Pandey.

He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. His research covers natural resource economics, labor economics, and economic history. He currently teaches at Kathmandu University’s School of Management.

In 2021, he served as Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission. He earlier worked as an Economic Advisor at the ILO in Geneva, advising on labor reforms and social security. He also worked with Nepal’s Millennium Challenge Account, analyzing major infrastructure projects.

Dr. Poudel also contributed to banking and the private sector. He served on Sanima Bank’s board and worked with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries' think tank.