Fourth National Microfinance Members' Summit held

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Feb 18, 2024: Dang: The fourth National Microfinance Members' Summit concluded in Kathmandu on February 18, which started on February 17, 2024.

The summit organized by CSD in Kathmandu was chaired by its chairperson Shankar Man Shrestha. Nepal government's finance minister Ram Sharant Mahat was the chief guest on the occasion while member of parliament Yogendra Mandal, and chair of Microfinance Association Ram Bahadur Yadav were the special guests on the occasion.

The acting chair of Nepal Rastra Bank, Nilam Dhungana Timilsinha was also the special guest on the occasion. The summit was attended by over 800 members, including staff chief executive officers of the microfinance companies.

The first opening session of the summit was welcomed by its chair Shankar Man Shrestha which was followed by an address from the chief minister who said that the government would not tolerate any activity that would disturb the activities of the microfinance services.

In the second session of the summit Dr. Prakash Kumar Shrestha, the director of Nepal Rastra Bank and coordinator of Monitoring and Evaluation said that microfinance services could be improved over time with some internal and external improvements.

The summit also highlighted some of the best practices of the entrepreneurs ( who spoke during the plenary sessions) representing various microfinance companies in Nepal.

On the second day on Feb 18, the plenary session on the significance of 3Zero Club in Nepal with three goals (Zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero emission of carbon) was addressed by CEO Shogat Bir Chaudhary of Aatmanirbhar LBS from Dang as the key speaker. The plenary session was presided over by Shankar Man Shrestha among others. 

Similarly, the group A plenary session on current difficulties faced by microfinance members and ways to solve them was efficiently moderated by Aasmani Chaudhary (promoter of Aatmanirbhar LBS and founding chair of RWDC) as the key speaker during the sessions.  

Nearly 40 participants of Aatmanirbhar LBS including chief executive officer Shogat Bir Chaudhary, senior staff, and its promoter organization Rural Women Development Center and founding chair Aasmani Chaudhary, its chair Mira Chaudhary have taken part in his summit.