The stock market will remain closed today and tomorrow due to government-declared public holidays. This decision has sparked reactions from investors and brokers across social media.
For over a week, the stock market has been inactive. Now, with the extension of the closure by two more days, opinions are divided. Some investors argue that the weather is not bad across the country, so two days of holidays are unnecessary. Others note that the skies are clearing and the weather is improving, and they urge the government to reconsider Monday’s holiday.
Priyaraj Regmi, former president of the Stock Brokers Association of Nepal, wrote that the government could review or cancel Monday’s holiday if the weather remains favorable.
Investor Vinod Bajgai shared on social media that the holiday is unnecessary since many areas are already sunny. He suggested reducing the two-day break to one day and canceling tomorrow’s closure. Raj Sharma Paudel expressed agreement with this view.
On the other hand, some investors say the holiday is justified. Rajananda pointed out that even though it is sunny, major highways are still blocked. Deepak Bhattarai added that flights are unavailable and traffic jams prevent employees from reaching Kathmandu, making the market closure reasonable.
Some investors are also calling for reforms before reopening the market. Kishor Nepal suggested that all investors visit the Securities Board on Tuesday morning to press for implementing the recommendations of the capital market improvement committee.
Another investor group, Think Tank, criticized the government’s rush to declare holidays. They argued that public holidays should only apply to affected areas rather than the entire country. According to them, two full days of holidays slow down the economy and add an unnecessary burden.
