Crawford PhD graduate appointed Minister of Finance in Nepal

ANU PhD in Economics graduate Dr Swarnim Waglé was appointed Minister of Finance of Nepal on 27 March 2026 after taking the oath of office before President Ramchandra Paudel.  

According to The Himalayan Times, upon taking charge, Dr Waglé outlined an ambitious reform agenda, committing to implement recommendations of the High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission, including abolishing the Revenue Investigation Department and amending 15 existing laws. He prioritised private-sector-friendly policies, job creation, boosting domestic production and delivering a transformative budget, while pledging to move towards digital governance and paperless and cashless systems, starting with the Finance Ministry.

Dr Waglé graduated with a PhD from the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy in 2012. His thesis, Essays on Policy Reforms in Trade, Investment and Taxation, examined key policy challenges in economic reform.

He has been a member of the Nepalese federal parliament since April 2023, and serves as a senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party.  

He has previously served in senior roles at the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Nepal's National Planning Commission.

Read more about Dr Waglé’s appointment.