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\hypersetup{pdftitle={Access to Financial Services of Rural Households in Nepal},pdfauthor={Lokendra Karki, Suresh Dhakal},pdfsubject={Tropentag 2010: Abstract},pdfkeywords={ landholding, financial services, Nepal, poverty},pdfpagemode=None,colorlinks=true}
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\parbox[b]{13.4cm}{\centering \large{\textbf{Tropentag, September 14-16, 2010, Zurich}}\\[1ex] \Large{``World Food System  ---\\A Contribution from Europe''\\[2ex]}}
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\Large{\textbf{Access to Financial Services of Rural Households in Nepal\footnote{\textbf{Contact Address:} Lokendra Karki, University of Kassel, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Wilhemshoeher Allee 102, 34119~Kassel, Germany, \mbox{e-mail}: \email{l_karki@yahoo.com}}\\[0.8ex]}}
\normalsize{\textsc{Lokendra Karki$^{1}$, Suresh Dhakal$^{2}$}}
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\begin{itemize*}
\item[]{\small{\textit{$^{1}$University of Kassel, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Germany}}}
\item[]{\small{\textit{$^{2}$Tribhuwan University, Department of Sociology, Nepal}}}
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\index[author]{Karki, Lokendra}
\index[author]{Dhakal, Suresh}
\begin{center}
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\textbf{Abstract}
\begin{abstract}
\normalsize{
Access to financial services provides an opportunity for resource poor households to involve in the economic activities and empower them economically and socially. This paper, based on the study carried out in the Morang district of eastern terai district of Nepal, explores the extent of access to financial services by the rural households. The study was carried out in the 200 households selected through the stratified random sampling. Semi"=structured questionnaires, focused group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted to collect the primary data. Analysis and interpretation of data was done according to the economic classes based on the landholding size. The study revealed that despite exponential growth in number and wide diversification of the financial institutions in recent years, credit market is limited to the wealthy people of the urban areas. Most of the financial institutions are concentrating and competing only in the urban areas. The study found that only 22 percent of the rural households have bank account while majority are still relying on informal credit with the exorbitant interest rates. Land has been identified as a major determinant of access to financial services as households with larger landholdings have greater access to formal and larger financial institutions. This situation of unequal access to financial services of the different economic categories of the society is mainly due to the unequal distribution of land and inappropriate government policies for improving access to financial services. In order to improve the investment in the rural sector, financial institutions should not only increase their network in the rural areas but also provide appropriate loan products with short lending procedures and low interest rates to the resource poor households. Such an intervention for increasing access to financial services of the rural population is crucial to enhance agricultural productivity, generate both on farm and off farm employment opportunities and overall  poverty reduction at the national level.  }

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\noindent \textbf{Keywords:}  landholding, financial services, Nepal, poverty
\index[key]{ landholding}
\index[key]{Financial services}
\index[key]{Nepal}
\index[key]{Poverty}
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