Kathmandu, July 28 -- The number of individuals and entities being blacklisted by government authorities for financial crimes has been on the rise in recent years. In the last fiscal year (FY 2024/25) alone, a total of 53,571 individuals and institutions were blacklisted, according to the Credit Information Bureau (CIB). In the fiscal year 2023/24, the figure stood at 52,303. This marks an increase of 1,268 entries within a year, CIB spokesperson Bijay Kunwar said.

Of the total blacklisted, as many as 34,770 cases were due to bounced checks, while 18,801 were related to loan defaults. Though 53,571 were blacklisted in total, around 10,074 individuals and entities were later removed from the list, Kunwar said.

The economic slowdown in re...