Foreign companies have repatriated over Rs 150 billion in dividends from their investments in Nepal over the past eight years.
According to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), these companies have invested in sectors such as agriculture, construction, electrical equipment, manufacturing, mining, food services, education, banking and insurance, health and social work, information technology, and transportation in Nepal.
Over the past eight years, foreign companies have repatriated dividends amounting to Rs 162.79 billion from their investments in these sectors. However, compared to previous years, the dividends taken by foreign companies have decreased.
Foreign companies repatriated Rs 17.33 billion in dividends in the fiscal year 2022/23, Rs 15.67 billion in 2021/22, Rs 26.07 billion in 2020/21, and Rs 12.90 billion in 2019/20.
Similarly, foreign companies repatriated Rs 27.78 billion in dividends in the fiscal year 2018/19, Rs 39.53 billion in 2017/18, Rs 17.24 billion in 2016/17, and Rs 6.25 billion in 2015/16.
During this period, the manufacturing sector saw the highest repatriation, with foreign companies taking back Rs 52.13 billion in dividends over eight years. In fiscal year 2022/23, they repatriated Rs 8.84 billion from this sector, Rs 7.31 billion in 2021/22, Rs 6.74 billion in 2020/21, Rs 7.52 billion in 2019/20, Rs 9.77 billion in 2018/19, and Rs 11.91 billion in 2017/18.
Foreign companies repatriated Rs 429 million in dividends from the transportation sector in the fiscal year 2022/23, Rs 257 million in 2021/22, Rs 4.1 million in 2019/20, Rs 12.5 billion in 2018/19, and Rs 236.4 million in 2017/18, totaling Rs 362.6 million from the sector.
In the information technology sector, foreign companies received Rs 36.7 billion in dividends in fiscal year 2022/23, Rs 54 billion in 2021/22, Rs 13.98 billion in 2020/21, Rs 8.69 billion in 2016/17, and Rs 1.69 billion in 2015/16, totaling Rs 334.4 billion in dividends.
Foreign companies investing in the electricity sector earned Rs 13.01 million in dividends in fiscal year 2022/23, Rs 16.7 billion in 2021/22, Rs 38.1 billion in 2020/21, Rs 3.23 million in 2019/20, Rs 27.6 billion in 2018/19, Rs 29.2 billion in 2017/18, Rs 32.6 billion in 2016/17, and Rs 31.5 billion in 2015/16, totaling Rs 177.6 billion in profits.
In the banking and insurance sector, foreign companies received Rs 35 billion in dividends in the fiscal year 2022/23, Rs 10.8 billion in 2021/22, Rs 8.68 billion in 2020/21, Rs 47.9 billion in 2019/20, Rs 21.6 billion in 2018/19, Rs 8.87 billion in 2017/18, Rs 1.37 million in 2016/17, and Rs 1.36 million in 2015/16, totaling Rs 133.3 billion in dividends.
From the industrial sector, foreign companies received Rs 5.16 billion in dividends in the fiscal year 2016/17 and Rs 1.38 billion in 2015/16, totaling Rs 6.54 billion.
Foreign companies have also repatriated Rs 19.5 billion in dividends from other sectors, including Rs 11.1 billion in 2022/23, Rs 106.6 million in 2021/22, Rs 357.3 million in 2020/21, Rs 97.1 million in 2019/20, Rs 12.8 million in 2018/19, Rs 152.8 million in 2017/18, Rs 108.4 million in 2016/17, and Rs 4.1 million in 2015/16.
Over the eight-year period, foreign companies earned Rs 99.84 million from the education sector, Rs 26.39 million from the construction sector, Rs 79 million from the food services sector, Rs 5.1 million from the health and social work sector, and Rs 3 billion from the agriculture sector.
