Government Plans to Transfer Funds from Bank Accounts Dormant for 10 Years to State Treasury

Kathmandu — The government has proposed a plan to transfer funds from bank accounts dormant for more than 10 years to the state treasury. This initiative is part of the 100-point governance reform agenda and has been approved by the Cabinet following the formation of the new government.Under the current system, savings accounts with no transactions for three years are considered dormant. These accounts currently hold approximately NPR 188 billion. The government plans to legally transfer the balances of accounts dormant for 10 years or more, which remain unclaimed, to the state treasury.However, under existing law, unclaimed funds are deposited into the “Banking Development Fund” only after 20 years. Currently, about NPR 167 million is held in this fund. Therefore, legal amendments would be required to implement the plan at the 10-year mark.Reactivating dormant accounts is relatively simple. Account holders can visit the bank and submit a request; once their KYC details are updated, the account can be reactivated. Online KYC updates are also allowed.