November 1: Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada has said that all the reforms initiated by the government to facilitate business in the country have not been incorporated in the Ease of Doing Business Report published recently by the World Bank.

The finance minister made such remarks on Thursday during a meeting with a delegation of high-ranking officials of the World Bank, who are in a visit to Nepal.

Nepal has climbed 16 spots in the Doing Business Index of the World Bank. Nepal, which was in the 110^th position last year, jumped to the 94^th position this year.

Government officials say that Nepal leapfrogged in the Doing Business Index due to the policy-level reforms in creating a conducive environment for business.

In his meeting with the World Bank officials, Minister Khatiwada expressed his belief that the reforms made by Nepal would be included in the next report of the World Bank and Nepal would rise further in the index. Minister Khatiwada claimed that Nepal would climb to the 80^th position of Doing Business Index next year.

The recent World Bank report states that Nepal made improvements in five out of 10 areas measured in the report.

The report further says Nepal made the progress despite increasing the cost to do business by hiking up the registration fee to transfer properties. Nepal made starting a business more difficult by requiring in-person follow-up for employee registration for social security.