Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The World Bank has approved a $95 million operation to help expand access to finance for more than 100,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and promote job-led growth in Nepal.
A meeting of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors held in Washington on Monday approved the assistance, according to a statement issued by the World Bank Nepal Office.
“This operation will strengthen Nepal’s Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF) to expand risk-sharing, enhance financial sustainability, and introduce new guarantee products for underserved segments such as women-led businesses,” David Sislen, World Bank Country Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, said in the statement. “By easing access to finance and reducing transaction barriers, the operation will broaden financial inclusion, support the integration of MSMEs into regional and global value chains, and foster job creation and private sector–led growth.”
According to the World Bank, the Sustainable and Inclusive Finance Project (SIF) builds on reforms supported under the World Bank-financed Financial Sector Stability and Finance for Growth Development Policy Credit (DPC) series, concluded in 2024, which prioritized access to finance for underserved segments as a key pillar.
The project will invest in technology and institutional capacity of the Credit Information Bureau of Nepal (CIBN) to expand data coverage, integrate alternative data sources, and enhance data security and privacy.
