Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has been given acting responsibility for Nepal’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to reports from Kathmandu on October 5, 2026.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah assigned Shrestha the additional charge because Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle and Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal are abroad.
Why Shrestha was given dual acting charge
Wagle is visiting the United States at the invitation of the World Bank president. Khanal is also abroad, prompting the prime minister to assign Shrestha responsibility for both ministries while the ministers are away.
Shrestha will continue to serve as Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister alongside the two acting assignments.
