Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Joint Secretary Sushil Babu Dhakal Appointed to Insurance Authority Board

Kathmandu — The government has appointed Sushil Babu Dhakal from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport to the board of the Nepal Insurance Authority, less than two weeks after amending the Insurance Act 2022 through an ordinance.

Engineer Sushil Babu Dhakal, who serves as a joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, has been appointed as a board member of the insurance regulator.

Through the recently promulgated Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts 2026, the government introduced a legal provision making insurance mandatory for major public infrastructure projects across the country.

Under the new arrangement, insurance coverage will now be compulsory for roads, bridges, hydropower projects, irrigation systems, and other public infrastructure works in order to minimize risks associated with construction and operation.

Previously, many public assets remained uninsured, leaving the state to bear significant financial burdens arising from natural disasters and other accidents.

The new provision is expected to protect the state treasury while also safeguarding contractors and developers from potential risks.

The ordinance has also restructured the board composition of the Nepal Insurance Authority. By amending Section 6 of the Insurance Act, the board must now include a “technical joint secretary” representing the ministry responsible for the physical infrastructure sector.

Accordingly, the government appointed Sushil Babu Dhakal as the board member representing the physical infrastructure ministry.

Previously, the board mainly included representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Law, and insurance experts. Amendments to Section 8 of the act have also expanded the qualification criteria for board members.

In addition to experts from insurance, monetary policy, banking, and finance, professionals from the engineering field will now also be eligible for leadership roles within the authority.

A new provision, Section 72(a), has also been added to the act, clearly stating that insurance arrangements related to public infrastructure construction will be implemented as prescribed by law.

The new provisions came into immediate effect after being published in the Nepal Gazette on May 4, 2026.