Economist Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel has been appointed as 18th Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday evening appointed Prof. Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel as the Governor of Central Bank of Nepal.
He is considered close to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. During Deuba’s tenure as Prime Minister, Dr. Poudel was appointed the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission on Shrawan 12, 2078 BS (July 27, 2021 AD).
Education Background of Biswo Nath Poudel
Dr. Poudel completed his undergraduate studies in engineering from China, followed by a Master’s degree in Economics from the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, which he completed in 2010. He has deep expertise in both economics and history.
He has worked as an economic advisor at the International Labour Organization (ILO) and as an economist at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). In addition, he has also served as a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management and worked as a senior economic advisor at the Ministry of Finance.
Dr. Poudel has also held prominent roles such as Chairperson of the Colombo Plan Council and Chair of Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration for the Asia-Pacific region. At one time, he was also the chief economic advisor to the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). He has served as a board member of Sanima Bank and Sanima Middle Tamor Hydropower Company.
He was a board member of Sanima Bank from 2012 to 2013. Dr. Poudel has published articles related to economics and history in various national and international journals. His work has appeared in prestigious journals such as the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, and Natural Resource Modeling and Applied Economics.
He is also a trustee of ULLENS School. Dr. Poudel had once contested elections from Chitwan under the Nepali Congress ticket.
Having been a member of the Governor Recommendation Committee, Dr. Poudel resigned from that role after becoming a candidate for Governor himself. He stated in an interview with Banking News, “This is something the government decides. If the government wants it, I have to take the position. I have previously served as the Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission as well.”