Kathmandu: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has contracted a Chinese company to produce new 100-rupee notes that will showcase the country’s revised political map, marking the first instance of currency reflecting recent constitutional amendments.
The Council of Ministers approved the design change, which includes the newly recognized borders of Limpiyadhura, Lipulek, and Kalapani, as part of a constitutional amendment enacted on May 20, 2020. As per the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, while the NRB oversees note design, any modifications require government approval, which has already been granted by the Cabinet.
The contract has been awarded to the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation following a competitive global tender process. The NRB has requested the design, printing, supply, and delivery of 300 million 100-rupee notes, with an estimated printing cost of approximately $8.99 million (over Rs 1.2 billion). This breaks down to a cost of about Rs 4.04 per note.