The Economic Affairs, Development and Infrastructure research cluster serves the Government and wider policymaking community in Nepal by enabling scholars and leaders in the public sector to work together on problems of common interest in the field of economics, development and infrastructure. The cluster aims to ask right questions, gather good evidence, analyze it well, and share the results widely. Under the cluster, there are following three sub-clusters.

1.1 Economic Development Unit

This sub-cluster provides support to enhance knowledge contents of policy making by undertaking analytical research in the areas such as economic growth, revenue and taxation, public expenditure, domestic and international trade, investment climate, financial institutions, industrial development and other macroeconomic aspects. The research and activities under the sub-cluster are targeted at informing Nepal’s policymakers and also at improving the interface with the global economy.

As newer and more complex economic challenges emerge, the activities under the sub-cluster also provide support to the Government agencies in formulating national policies by generating and analyzing qualitative and quantitative evidences to support and inform economic policy choices.

1.2 Trade, Fiscal and Monetary Policy Unit

This unit studies issues around economic growth, revenue, taxation, public expenditure, internal and external trades, investment climate, financial institutions, industrial development and other wholistic economic dimensions of the national economy then makes recommendations to the Government of Nepal.

1.3 Infrastructure Development Unit

This unit supports national policies on the initiation and modernization of infrastructure sectors at local and federal levels. Among others, roadways, railways, aviation, bridges, communication, education, waste and hazardous waste management, power and energy, irrigation, area development projects are the policies the unit deals with.

Panel of Senior Thematic Experts (Honorary Senior Advisors)

Dr. Dilli Raj Khanal
Dr. Surya Raj Acharya
Dr. Bindu Nath Lohani
Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel
Dr. Prakash Kumar Shrestha

Research Team

Kalpana Khanal, PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Research (Current Fiscal Year)

SN Title of Project Name of Collaborator (if any) Name of PI/Co-PI Year of Completion Project Status Publication Type
1 Foreign Direct Investment in Nepal (Perspectives of Primary Agricultural Stakeholders) Dipendra Prasad Pant; Bikram Acharya, PhD; Mukunda Raj Kattel, PhD 2022 Download Research Report
2 Diversification of Export Portfolio to Address Trade Deficit of Nepal Shobha Poudel, PhD; Sabin Basi, PhD 2021 Download Policy Brief/Issue Brief
3 नेपाल सरकारको वार्षिक नीति तथा कार्यक्रम तर्जुमाको विषयवस्तु र कार्यान्वयनको समीक्षात्मक अध्ययन Kedar Bahadur Adhikari , Rammani Duwadi, Jham Kumar Bishwakarma, PhD 2021 Download Research Report

Research (Previous Fiscal Years)

SN Title of Project Name of Collaborator (if any) Name of PI/Co-PI Year of Completion Project Status Publication Type
1 Development Experience of Nepal Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, PhD; Biswa Nath Poudel, PhD; Tika Ram Gautam, PhD 2021 Download Perspective Paper
2 नेपालको आर्थिक विकास नीतिका सन्दर्भमा विभिन्न मुलुकका आर्थिक नीति तथा आवधिक योजनाका अनुभव र बजेट तर्जुमा प्रक्रियाको सिंहावलोकन Hari Sharma Neupane, PhD; Bishnu Raj Upreti, PhD 2021 Download Research Report
3 Addressing trade deficit of Nepal: Nepal’s productive structure and avenues for diversification - Dr. Santosh Adhikari (PI) 2021 Download Research Report
4 Constructing Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and Estimating Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Modelling Exercise for Nepal: An Analysis of COVID-19 Shocks in Nepal through Tourism and Remittance Central Department of Economics, Tribhuvan University - 2023 Download Research Report
5 नेपालमा विशेष आर्थिक क्षेत्रः वर्तमान अवस्था, समस्या र प्रभावकारी सञ्चालनका उपायहरू ( SEZs ) - - 2023 Download Research Report