MGT 226

Foundation of Financial Systems

TU BBS · Third Year · Four-year BBS curriculum

Requirement
required
Full marks
100
Past papers
3 papers

Chapter-wise questions

55 reviewed questions across 9 units

Open a chapter to study questions grouped by unit and syllabus topic, with verified model solutions.

Unit 1: Introduction

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  1. Asked on 2081 Exam[2 marks]

    Write the meaning of financial system.

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    Meaning of Financial System

    A financial system is the organized institutional structure comprising financial markets, institutions, instruments, rules, and regulatory bodies that facilitates the mobilization of savings from surplus units (households/savers) and channels them to deficit units (investors, businesses, and governments) for productive investment.

  2. Asked on 2081 Exam[15 marks]

    Describe the components of financial system? Explain the current status of financial institutions in Nepal.

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    Analytical Discussion: Components of Financial System and Status of BFIs in Nepal


    Part I: Components of the Financial System

    The financial system constitutes the institutional infrastructure that mobilizes savings and allocates capital across an economy:

    1. Financial Institutions: Intermediaries mobilizing funds from savers to borrowers, divided into:
      • Depository Institutions: Commercial banks, development banks, finance companies, and microfinances.
      • Non-Depository Institutions: Insurance companies, contractual pension funds (EPF, CIT, SSF), and mutual funds.
    2. Financial Markets: The channels through which funds and claims are exchanged:
      • Money Market: Short-term liquidity instruments (T-bills, interbank loans, repo, CDs).
      • Capital Market: Long-term equity and debt instruments (primary market via C-ASBA; secondary market via NEPSE).
    3. Financial Instruments: Contractual debt, equity, hybrid, and derivative claims carrying monetary value.
    4. Financial Regulators: Apex bodies enforcing prudential stability:
      • Nepal Rastra Bank (central bank and banking supervisor).
      • Securities Board of Nepal (capital markets).
      • Nepal Insurance Authority (insurance sector).
      • Department of Cooperatives (cooperatives).
    5. Financial Infrastructure: Electronic payment switches (NCHL, RTGS, ConnectIPS), central securities depository (CDSC), and Credit Information Bureau (CIB).

    Part II: Current Status of Financial Institutions in Nepal

    The financial sector of Nepal has undergone substantial structural transformation over the past decade, characterized by large-scale consolidation, rapid digital banking adoption, and emerging asset quality challenges.

    1. Institutional Consolidation and Mergers

    • Prompted by NRB’s mandatory paid-up capital hikes (minimum Rs. 8 billion for Class ‘A’ banks) and merger incentives, the number of institutions has consolidated dramatically:
      • Class ‘A’ Commercial Banks: Reduced from 32 to 20 banks through aggressive cross-mergers (e.g., Global IME-Bank of Kathmandu, Himalayan-Civil, Nabil-NBB).
      • Class ‘B’ Development Banks: Consolidated to 17 banks (largely national and provincial players).
      • Class ‘C’ Finance Companies: Consolidated to 17 institutions.
      • Class ‘D’ Microfinance: Consolidated through forced mergers to around 50-60 institutions.

    2. Capitalization and Financial Soundness

    • Capital Adequacy: The commercial banking sector maintains a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of around 12% to 13%, safely exceeding the Basel III minimum regulatory requirement of 11.0%.
    • Credit and Deposit Mobilization: Total banking deposits exceed Rs. 6.5 trillion, while total private sector credit stands around Rs. 5.1 trillion, maintaining a comfortable Credit-to-Deposit (CD) ratio below the regulatory ceiling of 90%.

    3. Deterioration in Asset Quality (NPL Pressures)

    • Following the post-COVID-19 economic slowdown, high interest rate cycles, and real estate market stagnation:
      • Non-Performing Loans (NPL) in Class ‘A’ banks rose from below 1.5% historically to around 3.8% to 4.5% in recent quarters.
      • Microfinance institutions face heightened delinquency, loan write-offs, and borrower unrest.

    4. Technological and Digital Transformation

    • Nepal’s financial sector has achieved unprecedented digital penetration:
      • Mobile banking users exceed 23 million, and internet banking users exceed 1.8 million.
      • Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), national payment switches, and QR-code retail transactions have reduced cash transactions significantly.

    5. Crisis in the Cooperative Sector

    • Unregulated saving and credit cooperatives have experienced widespread liquidity crises, promoter embezzlement, and deposit defaults, exerting indirect pressure on the formal banking system and prompting calls for a second-tier regulatory authority.
  3. Asked on 2080 Exam[2 marks]

    What is financial intermediation? Give some example of financial intermediaries in Nepal.

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    Financial Intermediation and Examples in Nepal

    Financial intermediation is the economic process through which institutional middlemen channel surplus financial savings from household savers to deficit spending units (entrepreneurs, firms, and government) by creating secondary financial claims.

    • Examples in Nepal:
      1. Depository Intermediaries: Nabil Bank Ltd. (Commercial Bank), Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd. (Development Bank), Goodwill Finance Ltd. (Finance Company).
      2. Contractual & Investment Intermediaries: Employee Provident Fund (EPF), Citizen Investment Trust (CIT), Nepal Life Insurance Co., and Mutual Funds.
  4. Asked on 2080 Exam[15 marks]

    Explain the concept of financial system. What are the major components of Nepalese financial system? Discuss.

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    Analytical Exposition: Concept and Components of Nepalese Financial System

    A robust financial system is the engine of modern economic growth. It acts as an institutional bridge transferring scarce capital from surplus economic units to deficit units where it can be put to productive use.


    1. Concept of Financial System

    A financial system is a complex, interconnected network of financial institutions, markets, instruments, services, and regulatory bodies that interact to mobilize savings, allocate capital, facilitate payments, and manage financial risks across an economy.

    Fundamental Functions:

    1. Resource Mobilization & Allocation: Aggregates small, fragmented household savings and directs them into large-scale capital investments.
    2. Liquidity Provision: Enables holders of financial assets to quickly convert them into purchasing power without significant loss of value.
    3. Maturity & Risk Transformation: Transforms short-term, liquid deposits into long-term illiquid loans while diversifying portfolio default risk.
    4. Efficient Payment and Settlement Mechanism: Provides clearing networks, electronic funds transfer (NCHL, RTGS, QR payments), and currency circulation.

    2. Major Components of Nepalese Financial System

    The financial architecture of Nepal consists of five integrated components:

    Components Overview: [Regulators: NRB, SEBON, Beema] ↔ [Institutions: Depository & Non-Depository] ↔ [Markets: Money & Capital] ↔ [Instruments: Debt, Equity, Hybrid] ↔ [Infrastructure: CDSC, CIB, Rating Agencies]

    A. Apex Regulatory Authorities

    1. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB): The central monetary authority regulating banks and financial institutions (BFIs), foreign exchange, and payment gateways.
    2. Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON): Regulates capital markets, stock exchanges, brokers, mutual funds, and public listings.
    3. Nepal Insurance Authority (Nepal Beema Pradhikaran): Regulates life, non-life, and reinsurance companies.
    4. Department of Cooperatives: Regulates saving and credit cooperatives.

    B. Financial Institutions

    • Depository Institutions (Banks and Financial Institutions - BFIs):
      • Class ‘A’ Commercial Banks (20 institutions): Full-service retail and corporate banking.
      • Class ‘B’ Development Banks: Infrastructure and regional financing.
      • Class ‘C’ Finance Companies: Hire-purchase, leasing, and personal credit.
      • Class ‘D’ Microfinance Financial Institutions: Rural collateral-free microcredit for underprivileged groups.
      • Saving and Credit Cooperatives: Community-based credit mobilization.
    • Non-Depository Institutions:
      • Contractual Savings: Employee Provident Fund (EPF), Citizen Investment Trust (CIT), Social Security Fund (SSF).
      • Risk Management: 14 Life Insurance and 14 Non-Life Insurance companies, plus 2 Reinsurance firms.
      • Investment Companies: Specialized private equity, venture capital, and mutual fund management companies.

    C. Financial Markets

    • Money Market: Wholesale market for short-term liquidity (Treasury bills, interbank lending, repo/reverse repo, standing liquidity facility - SLF).
    • Capital Market:
      • Primary Market: Flotation of new shares, debentures, and rights issues through C-ASBA and MeroShare.
      • Secondary Market: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) with over 250 listed companies, providing trading and continuous price discovery.

    D. Financial Instruments

    • Short-term: Government Treasury Bills (28, 91, 182, 364 days), commercial certificates of deposit.
    • Long-term: Ordinary shares, corporate debentures/bonds, Government Development Bonds (Bikash Rinpattra), citizen saving bonds, and mutual fund units.

    E. Financial Infrastructure & Ancillary Services

    • Central Depository Services (CDS & Clearing Ltd.), Credit Rating Agencies (ICRA Nepal, Care Ratings Nepal), Credit Information Bureau (CIB), and Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF).

    Conclusion

    Nepal’s financial system has evolved from a state-dominated, cash-based structure into a modernized, digitized, and highly regulated institutional network. Sustained economic growth requires continued regulatory vigilance to address non-performing loans and cooperative sector stability.

  5. Asked on 2079 Exam[2 marks]

    What do you mean by indirect process of fund transfer?

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    Indirect Process of Fund Transfer

    The indirect process of fund transfer (or indirect financing / financial intermediation) occurs when surplus spending units (savers/households) channel their funds to deficit spending units (borrowers/firms) through intermediate financial institutions.

    • Mechanism: The financial intermediary (such as a commercial bank) accepts deposits by issuing its own secondary claims (indirect securities like fixed deposits) and then packages those pooled funds into loans or purchases primary securities (direct securities) from borrowers.
  6. Asked on 2079 Exam[10 marks]

    Explain the major components of financial system of Nepal.

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    Major Components of the Financial System of Nepal

    The financial system of Nepal is a multi-layered institutional mechanism that mobilizes scarce financial resources from surplus economic units (households/savers) and channels them to deficit units (entrepreneurs, corporations, and the government).


    1. Financial Regulators (Apex Regulatory Authorities)

    The regulatory pillars oversee stability, prudential discipline, and systemic trust:

    • Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB): The central monetary authority, regulating monetary policy, foreign exchange reserves, and licensing Class ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ financial institutions under the NRB Act, 2058 and BAFIA, 2073.
    • Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON): Apex capital market regulator governing stock exchanges, securities brokers, merchant bankers, mutual funds, and publicly listed firms.
    • Nepal Insurance Authority (Nepal Beema Pradhikaran): Regulates life, non-life, and reinsurance enterprises under the Insurance Act, 2079.
    • Department of Cooperatives: Regulates saving and credit cooperatives nationwide.

    2. Financial Institutions (Intermediaries)

    Financial intermediaries in Nepal are divided into depository and non-depository institutions:

    • Depository Institutions:
      • Class ‘A’ Commercial Banks (20 institutions as of recent consolidation).
      • Class ‘B’ National and Regional Development Banks.
      • Class ‘C’ Finance Companies.
      • Class ‘D’ Microfinance Financial Institutions.
      • Saving and Credit Cooperatives (mobilizing community-level thrift).
    • Non-Depository Institutions:
      • Contractual savings institutions: Employee Provident Fund (EPF / Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh), Citizen Investment Trust (CIT / Nagarik Lagani Kosh), Social Security Fund (SSF).
      • Risk management: Life insurance companies, non-life insurance companies, and reinsurance entities.
      • Investment companies: Mutual fund schemes (closed-end and open-end funds managed by merchant banks).

    3. Financial Markets

    The forums where financial assets and contracts are issued and traded:

    • Money Market: Deals with short-term funds (maturity \le 1 year).
      • Instruments: Treasury Bills, Interbank Lending, Repurchase Agreements (Repo/Reverse Repo), Certificates of Deposit (CDs).
    • Capital Market: Deals with long-term debt and equity funds (maturity > 1 year).
      • Primary Market: New issue market for Initial Public Offerings (IPO), Further Public Offerings (FPO), and Rights Issues via ASBA.
      • Secondary Market: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) provides liquidity and continuous trading of listed equities, debentures, and mutual fund units.

    4. Financial Instruments (Securities)

    The contractual claims embodying monetary value:

    • Money Market Instruments: 28-day, 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day Treasury Bills, interbank placements.
    • Capital Market Instruments: Ordinary equity shares, preference shares, corporate debentures, mutual fund units, and Government Development Bonds (Bikash Rinpattra).

    5. Financial Infrastructure & Ancillary Services

    Critical supporting mechanisms ensuring clearing, settlement, credit hygiene, and transparency:

    • CDS and Clearing Ltd. (CDSC): Central electronic depository managing dematerialized (demat) securities and trade settlement.
    • Credit Information Bureau (CIB): Maintains borrower credit histories and blacklists defaulting borrowers.
    • Credit Rating Agencies: ICRA Nepal Ltd. and Care Ratings Nepal Ltd., providing objective risk assessments of debt instruments and issuers.
    • Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF): Protects small retail depositors (up to Rs. 500,000) and underwrites priority-sector credit risks.