## IMF Staff Concludes the Scoping Mission for the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic for Nepal

_IMF News, January 22, 2026_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [IMF Staff Concludes the Scoping Mission for the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic for Nepal](https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/01/21/pr-26013-nepal-imf-concludes-scoping-mission-for-governance-and-corruption-diagnostic)

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## Bibliographic details
- Published: January 22, 2026

---

### Mission overview
- Press Release No. 26/013
- Mission leader: Jonathan Pampolina
- Mission type: IMF Technical Assistance scoping mission (hybrid)
- Location and dates: visited Kathmandu from January 12 to 21, 2026
- Purpose: lay the groundwork for a Governance and Corruption Diagnostic (GCD) at the request of the Nepali authorities

### Scope and focus of the GCD
- Objective: identify macro-economically critical governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities, and design an action plan with specific, sequenced recommendations and reform priorities
- Core state functions to be covered (as identified in the IMF 2018 Enhanced Governance Framework):
  - fiscal governance focused on public financial management and revenue administration
  - financial sector oversight
  - rule of law
  - anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT)
- Additional assessment: effectiveness of anti-corruption legal and institutional frameworks in supporting macro-economic objectives

### Stakeholder engagement during the scoping mission
- Government and public sector institutions met (selected):
  - Ministry of Finance
  - Nepal Rastra Bank
  - Constitutional Council
  - Supreme Court of Nepal
  - Judicial Council
  - Public Service Commission
  - Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority
  - Office of the Auditor General
  - Office of the Attorney General
  - National Planning Commission
  - National Information Commission
  - National Vigilance Center
  - Financial Intelligence Unit
  - Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
  - Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Supplies
  - Finance Comptroller General’s Office
  - Inland Revenue Department
  - Department of Customs
  - Special Court for Corruption Cases
- Other stakeholders engaged:
  - business associations
  - civil society organizations
  - international development partners

### Expected outputs and next steps
- Main GCD mission: to be conducted in the coming months to further engagement and discussions on reform measures to strengthen governance and integrity, and economic outcomes
- Final output: a diagnostic report that will:
  - include an analysis of the nature and severity of corruption in Nepal
  - set out key findings identifying governance weaknesses and vulnerabilities
  - propose a targeted, sequenced, and prioritized reform plan to mitigate identified vulnerabilities

### Key messages and commitments
- The IMF staff appreciates the Nepali authorities’ commitment to this diagnostic and looks forward to continuing the collaboration
- The GCD aims to translate diagnostic findings into specific, sequenced recommendations and reform priorities to support macro-economic objectives

*Source: IMF press release, January 21, 2026*

---


## References

- [Burkina Faso and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/BFA/index.htm)
- [Indonesia and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/IDN/index.htm)
- [Nepal and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/NPL/index.htm)
- [The IMF and Good Governance -- A Factsheet](https://www.imf.org/en/about/factsheets/sheets/2023/the-imf-and-good-governance)
- [Press Releases](https://www.imf.org/en/news/searchnews)
- [PRESS CENTER](http://presscenter.imf.org/)
- [IMF 2018 Enhanced Governance Framework](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/policy-papers/issues/2018/04/20/pp030918-review-of-1997-guidance-note-on-governance)
- [Frequently Asked Questions on Governance Diagnostic](https://www.imf.org/en/about/faq/governance-diagnostic)
- [https://www.imf.org/en/home](https://www.imf.org/en/home)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/01/21/pr-26013-nepal-imf-concludes-scoping-mission-for-governance-and-corruption-diagnostic_