CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF NEPALESE COMMERCIAL BANKS

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between corporate governance and the performance of commercial private banks in Nepal, focusing on a sample of leading banks. The Nepalese banking sector has undergone significant changes and is now a major contributor to the economy. The study uses profitability indicators such as Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) as dependent variables, while the independent variables include various corporate governance factors. The findings suggest that the size of the Board of Directors (BOD) and the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) are negatively correlated with bank profitability. Conversely, board independence and the frequency of board meetings show a positive correlation with profitability. The results indicate a significant relationship between board size, board independence, the number of board meetings, and the profitability of banks. These correlations were validated through paired t-tests. Moreover, the study reveals that professional management is considered a crucial aspect of corporate governance. In terms of corporate governance priorities, respondents ranked shareholder protection as the most important issue, followed by professional management, and then timely disclosure. The analysis concludes that a larger BOD size is negatively related to profitability, while a higher frequency of board meetings is positively associated with profitability. In summary, better corporate governance practices are linked to improved financial performance, reflected in higher ROE for banks.