Sharma Appointed as CoAS
Prabhu Ram Sharma
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has appointed Prabhu Ram Sharma as the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of Nepal Army. Before, he was working as Chief of General Staff of the army and was given the responsibility of Acting CoAS on August 10 after incumbent CoAS Purna Chandra Thapa went on leave before his retirement on September 9.
Lieutenant General Sharma is a graduate of Nepali Military Academy. He was commissioned to Purano Gorakh Battalion, one of the oldest Infantry Battalions of the Nepal Army. He completed his Company Command and Staff Course from the Nepali Army War College and Command and Staff Officers Course from Army Command and Staff College, Nepal. An alumnus of National Defense College in India, he holds a Master’s degree in History from Tribhuvan University and Master of Philosophy in Defense and Strategic Study from University of Madras, India.
Marasini Appointed as Finance Secretary
Madhu Kumar Marasini
Madhu Kumar Marasini has been appointed as the Secretary of Finance at the Ministry of Finance. A meeting of cabinet of ministers on July 30 appointed Marasini to the post.
Marasini replaced Sishir Kumar Dhungana as the finance secretary who has been transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Before, Marasini was serving as the Financial Comptroller General.
In his two decades of service, Marasini has served as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies as well as National Planning Commission.
He led the International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division of the Ministry of Finance from 2012 to 2016. Marasini was one of the key figures behind the establishment of the Department of Anti-Money Laundering Investigation in Nepal in 2011.
Marasini holds a Master’s degree in International and Development Economics from the Australian National University (ANU), Australia, Master of Public Administration (MPA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Pushkar Appointed as Revenue Secretary
Krishna Hari Puskar
The government has appointed Krishna Hari Puskar as the Secretary of Revenue at the Ministry of Finance. Previously, he was a Joint Secretary and was working at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. In the past, Puskar has worked at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for a long time and also served at the Foreign Employment Department and Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority.
Dr. Poudel Becomes NPC Vice Chair
Dr. Biswo Poudel
Economist Dr. Biswo Poudel has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC). The government on July 27 appointed Poudel to the post after incumbent vice chair Pushpa Kandel resigned shortly after KP Sharma Oli stepped down from Prime Minister.
Dr. Poudel is an economist with a specialization in natural resources economics, labor economics, and economic history. He holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
Earlier, Dr. Poudel had served as Senior Economist at the National Planning Commission and as Economic Adviser to the International Labor Organisation.
Ghising Back in NEA as New Managing Director
Kul Man Ghising
The government has appointed Kul Man Ghising as Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Ghising has returned to the state-owned power utility 11 months after his exit. Credited for resolving perennial loadshedding in the country and transforming the loss-making NEA into a profit-making public enterprise during his first stint in NEA from 2016-2020, Ghising was expected to be appointed for the second term by the then KP Oli-led government. However, the Oli government denied him the term extension.
With the change in the government, Ghising was appointed as the chief of the NEA, and incumbent MD Hitendra Shakya was posted to Water and Energy Commission.
Dr. Upreti Appointed as Senior Economic Advisor at Finance Ministry
Dr. Surendra Kumar Upreti
Dr. Surendra Kumar Upreti has been appointed as the Senior Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Finance. He is a well-known economic policy expert. Dr. Upreti holds a PhD on the rising costs when Nepal was joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its impact on the country’s revenue and economy.
Chhetri Re-appointed as Siddhartha Insurance CEO
Birendra Baidawar Chhetri
Siddhartha Insurance has reappointed Birendra Baidawar Chhetri as CEO for four years. The board of directors of the company has decided to extend his tenure.
Chhetri who had started his career at Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd holds an Executive MBA degree from Purbanchal University.
He has more than three decades of experience in the non-life insurance sector. He is also a fellow member of the Insurance Institute of India (III).
Aryal Joins Galaxy 4K TV, Pathak Reenters KTV
Prashant Aryal & Dil Bhusan Pathak
Prashant Aryal has joined the upcoming Galaxy 4K TV as Editorin-Chief. Aryal recently resigned from Editor-inChief of Kantipur Television after serving three and half years.
He has been succeeded by Dil Bhusan Pathak. The Kantipur Media Group has appointed Pathak as the new Editorin-Chief on August 17. This is Pathak’s second stint as EiC of Kantipur Television.
