KATHMANDU, June 9 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed its concern over the slow progress of Nepal's government in a number of economic and financial reform areas of the country.

The IMF delegation led by Tidian Kinda, deputy division chief of the IMF's Asia-Pacific Department, following a visit to the Himalayan nation, pointed out a number of areas in which progress is seen slow. The IMF delegation has suggested amendment to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Act and recommended international audit reports on the credit given by a number of banks and financial and independent audit of the NRB.

The IMF has been recommending the government to make the NRB an autonomous body. For this purpose, the watchdog of the monetary syste...