Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has finalized six companies in the first phase for printing currency notes.
The selected companies are China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, UK-based De La Rue International Ltd, Germany’s Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology, Russia’s Joint Stock Company, France’s Oberthur Fiduciaire SAS, and Poland’s Polish Security Printing.
These companies will be eligible to participate in the bidding process for each printing requirement over the next two years. NRB will issue tenders as needed, and the contract will be awarded to the company offering the lowest printing cost.
Currently, the total value of banknotes in circulation stands at Rs 6.40 trillion. The breakdown includes:
- Rs 1,000 notes: Rs 453 billion
- Rs 500 notes: Rs 127 billion
- Rs 250 notes: Rs 81.1 million
- Rs 100 notes: Rs 30 billion
- Rs 50 notes: Rs 13.6 billion
- Rs 25 notes: Rs 52.9 million
- Rs 20 notes: Rs 7.44 billion
- Rs 10 notes: Rs 5.59 billion
- Rs 5, Rs 2, and Rs 1 notes: Rs 3.79 billion
With this selection, NRB aims to ensure a smooth and cost-effective currency printing process over the next two years.
