Govt committed to securing Nepal's removal from FATF grey list: Finance Minister

KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle said today the government is committed to taking all necessary measures to secure Nepal’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Speaking at a meeting in his office on the action plan related to the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) under the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), Dr Wagle told an APG delegation that the government will mobilise all available resources and institutional capacity to address concerns raised by international monitoring bodies.

He said the government has placed strong emphasis on good governance and accelerating development efforts, and that citizens are already beginning to feel the effects of reforms introduced since the current administration took office. Dr Wagle also informed the delegation that concerned agencies are implementing both immediate and long‑term measures required for removal from the grey list, with regular monitoring and evaluation in place.

The minister noted that Nepal has shown significant improvements in several indicators related to anti‑money laundering compliance compared with previous review periods.

APG Deputy Executive Secretary David Shannon told the meeting that Nepal still has significant work to do before it can be taken off the grey list.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Nepal Rastra Bank and other relevant agencies attended the discussion.

Nepal was placed on the FATF grey list in early 2025 for two years. Since then, the country has been implementing a 15‑point reform plan aimed at strengthening its anti‑money laundering framework and improving financial transparency.

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