Kathmandu: A high-level meeting involving top political and administrative leaders, as well as representatives from concerned agencies, was convened on Sunday to evaluate Nepal's status in combating money laundering and outline future strategies. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, was held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar.

Discussions focused on the findings of an evaluation conducted by the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering. Nepal is among 25 countries at risk of being classified under the "Jurisdiction under Increased Monitoring" (grey list) due to deficiencies in anti-money laundering measures.

Participants emphasized the need for urgent action to prevent Nepal from being included in the grey list. It was suggested that Nepal's political commitment and ongoing initiatives be effectively presented at the upcoming APG meeting scheduled for January in the Philippines.

Prime Minister Oli called for a coordinated and proactive approach to address the challenges, urging all stakeholders to take the situation seriously. He emphasized that Nepal’s political stability and the government's consistent efforts to improve governance should be highlighted as part of the international reporting process.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba acknowledged the complexity of implementing anti-money laundering measures. He stressed the importance of monitoring financial transactions and raising public awareness about discreet financial flows.

Other prominent attendees included Deputy Prime Ministers, senior leaders such as Ishwor Pokharel and Shankar Pokhrel from the CPN (UML), as well as Nepali Congress Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka and General-Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa.

The meeting concluded with a collective agreement to work rigorously toward addressing the identified gaps and improving Nepal’s compliance with international anti-money laundering standards.