Accounts and Properties of 13,000 Defaulters Frozen, Depositors’ Refund Remains a Challenge

Kathmandu — The Problematic Cooperative Management Committee has frozen the bank accounts, share investments, and movable and immovable properties of around 13,000 loan defaulters involved in cooperative fraud cases. The move aims to accelerate loan recovery and strengthen the process of refunding depositors’ savings, the committee said.

According to the committee, legal procedures have been initiated to confiscate the assets of members who borrowed from troubled cooperatives and failed to repay their loans. Although the recovered assets will be used to compensate depositors, preliminary assessments indicate that the available resources are insufficient to repay all claimants in full.

Official records show that 74,307 depositors have filed claims totaling over NPR 44.48 billion. So far, only about NPR 4.12 billion has been refunded or adjusted. Due to the large gap between claims and recovered funds, full repayment remains highly challenging.

Since its formation, the committee has taken charge of managing 23 cooperatives. Of these, only three have completed their asset management and liability settlement processes, while work on the remaining 20 is ongoing. Weak capital structures and a high volume of non-performing loans have made financial recovery more complex.

Officials say that property valuation, confiscation, and auction procedures are lengthy and highly procedural, slowing down loan recovery efforts. Court processes, administrative approvals, and banking regulations have further delayed the refund of savings.

Incomplete records, hidden transactions, mismatched accounts, and suspected data manipulation by cooperative operators have added to the difficulties. Some cooperatives operated their own internal systems, making it harder to verify actual liabilities.

A shortage of skilled personnel, frequent staff transfers, heavy workloads, and weak coordination have also hindered progress. Officials noted that pressure from interest groups and the spread of misinformation have negatively affected the process.

The committee has warned that delays in delivering justice may lead to protests and disruptions by affected depositors. Although asset confiscation has begun, the committee concluded that resolving the cooperative crisis will take considerable time and remains dependent on legal and administrative procedures.