Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani ( ne, डा .प्रकाशचन्द्र लोहनी) (born 21 April 1944) is a

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

ese politician,

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...

and member of the ARPPR. He has served as a

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Labour & Transportation, and Minister of Housing & Physical Planning in governments formed during the

panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical men ...

era and in governments formed after the restoration of multi-party democracy.

Career

Lohani was appointed Minister of Finance of Nepal in July 1983 and June 2003. During his tenure as the Finance Minister, for the first time in Nepal, he initiated the process of financial liberalization by introducing policies in favor of

privatization Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...

of public enterprises. Growth in Nepal's financial market, especially the emergence of banking sectors, financial institutions can be attributed to the policies enacted by him during his tenure as a finance minister. Nepal's first joint venture backed bank, Nepal Arab Bank Limited (now Nabil Bank), was established during his tenure. Lohani along with his love toward politics, has a keen interest in finance and economics. He has shared his ideas and views at various national and international forums such

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (or Wilson Center) is a quasi-government entity and think tank which conducts research to inform public policy. Located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Wash ...

in Washington, DC, (chairman) 41st session of the

ESCAP The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...

in Bangkok and (chairman) Nepal Aid Group meeting in 2004. Dr. Lohani has also published papers in prestigious journals like the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

'' Journal of Political Economy''. He was a Fulbright scholar who taught as an assistant professor of finance at the California State University, Northridge, California, US (1968–1969). Dr. Lohani has an MBA degree from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

and PhD from

University of California Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

(UCLA). Lohani was a member of Nepal's historic erstwhile

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

, which had been tasked with drafting a new constitution. At present Lohani is the chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

References

Sources

* * * 1944 births Living people Indiana University alumni Nepalese economists University of California, Los Angeles alumni Finance ministers of Nepal Government ministers of Nepal Rastriya Janashakti Party politicians Rastriya Prajatantra Party politicians Foreign Ministers of Nepal Members of the Rastriya Panchayat Nepal MPs 1991–1994 Nepal MPs 1994–1999 {{Nepal-politician-stub Members of the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly