Hundi

In a hundi transaction, a worker abroad gives money to a hundi agent there; an associated agent in Nepal pays the equivalent amount in rupees to the recipient, often at a slightly better exchange rate and without paperwork. The agents settle their balances later through trade invoicing manipulation, smuggling, cash carried across the border or offsetting flows, for example by using the foreign currency to pay for imports that are under-invoiced.

Hundi is attractive because it is fast, cheap, reaches remote areas and avoids documentation. However, it is illegal in Nepal under the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act and related laws, and it causes serious harm:

• Foreign exchange does not enter the banking system, weakening reserves and the balance of payments.
• It facilitates tax evasion, under-invoicing of imports, money laundering and terrorist financing.
• Senders and receivers have no legal protection.

The FATF and the Asia/Pacific Group treat informal value transfer systems as high risk. NRB and the government counter hundi by licensing remittance companies, encouraging digital and web-based remittance, incentivising formal channels and enforcing AML/CFT laws.

हुन्डीमा विदेशमा रहेका कामदारले त्यहाँको एजेन्टलाई रकम दिन्छन् र नेपालमा रहेको सम्बद्ध एजेन्टले प्रापकलाई बराबर रुपैयाँ, प्रायः अलि राम्रो दरमा र कागजातबिना दिन्छ। एजेन्टहरूले पछि बीजक हेरफेर, तस्करी, सिमानापार नगद वा न्यून बीजकीकरण गरिएको आयातको भुक्तानीमार्फत हिसाब मिलाउँछन्।

छिटो, सस्तो र कागजातबिना हुने भएकाले आकर्षक लागे पनि नेपालमा विदेशी विनिमय (नियमित गर्ने) ऐन लगायत कानुनअन्तर्गत गैरकानुनी छ। हानि: विदेशी मुद्रा बैंकिङ प्रणालीमा नआउने, कर छली, आयात न्यून बीजकीकरण, सम्पत्ति शुद्धीकरण र आतङ्कवादी वित्तपोषण, र प्रयोगकर्ताको कानुनी संरक्षण नहुने। नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक र सरकारले विप्रेषण कम्पनी इजाजत, डिजिटल विप्रेषण प्रवर्द्धन र AML/CFT कार्यान्वयनबाट हुन्डी नियन्त्रण गर्छन्।