The Foreign Employment Savings Bond-2086 (A), issued by the Public Debt Management Office, has experienced a significantly low sales performance.
Launched on November 27 with a target of Rs 500 million, the bond closed on Sunday with only 11% of its value sold, amounting to Rs 50.42 million, according to the Office.
In contrast, the Civic Bond-2086 (B), worth Rs 2 billion, was fully subscribed. “The sale was 100 percent,” confirmed Mukunda Pokharel, the Office’s spokesperson. The Civic Bond offers an interest rate of 7.5%, slightly lower than the 8.5% provided by the Foreign Employment Savings Bond. For both bonds, interest payments are automatically deposited into purchasers’ bank accounts every six months.
Despite these attractive interest rates—higher than those for fixed bank deposits—the bonds have failed to attract significant public interest. Experts attribute this to limited awareness, procedural complexities, inadequate publicity, and a poorly understood secondary market. Instead, investments in real estate, gold, silver, the capital market, and fixed deposits remain more popular among citizens, overshadowing these secure and accessible government investment options.
