Treasury Bill Discount Rate Falls Below 2%, NPR 19.49 Billion Renewal Today

Kathmandu — With excess liquidity in the banking system, demand for government securities (treasury bills) has surged sharply, pushing discount rates to historic lows. The intense competition among banks has driven the discount rate below 2 percent.

On September 8 (Bhadra 23), the 91-day treasury bill auction recorded a discount rate of just 1.99 percent. Although the government had issued bills worth NPR 8.5 billion, total bids submitted reached NPR 63.6 billion — nearly eight times the issuance amount.

In this context, the Public Debt Management Office is set to renew treasury bills worth NPR 19.49 billion today (Monday, Ashoj 5). Of this, NPR 5 billion will be for the 28-day maturity and NPR 14.49 billion for the 91-day maturity. The auction will be held online between 10 AM and 3 PM on Sunday, while the issuance date is scheduled for Tuesday, Ashoj 7.

Currently, the discount rate on all types of treasury bills has fallen below 3 percent. As investment opportunities in other sectors remain limited, banks and financial institutions are channeling their funds into government securities, which in turn has also driven down short-term interest rates.