Securities Board Employees Continue Protest for 34 Days, Halting Market Approvals

The employees of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) have continued their protest even after the Tihar festival, marking the 34th consecutive day of agitation as of Sunday.
Every morning, employees stage a sit-in protest for the first hour of office time and observe a full-day “pen down” strike, completely halting regular administrative operations at the board.
Due to the ongoing protest, all daily administrative and approval-related activities at SEBON—including new issue approvals, renewals, and licensing processes—have been paralyzed, causing direct disruptions in the capital market.

The Ministry of Finance had earlier instructed SEBON to immediately annul the Employee Welfare Fund Procedure 2071 and the Employee Protection Fund (Operation and Management) Procedure 2075, citing legal inconsistencies. It also directed that any payments made under these procedures be recovered as government dues from the concerned individuals.
In opposition to this directive, SEBON employees have been continuously protesting for over a month, demanding the government to withdraw the decision and seek a negotiated settlement.