At a time when hundi (informal money transfer) is rampant in Australia, an initiative has been launched to send money from Australia to Nepal safely and legally with approval from the Nepal Rastra Bank. In this context, United Pay Remit, operating under Goodwill Remit Pvt. Ltd., which is registered with the Nepal Rastra Bank and has received permission to send money from Australia, is starting its services.
With around 300,000 Nepalis residing in Australia—including approximately 80,000 Nepali students—millions of rupees are sent to Nepal daily. However, only a small percentage of this amount is transferred through official channels under the guidelines of the Nepal Rastra Bank, while the majority is sent via hundi. To address this, United Pay Remit, which has obtained authorization from the Nepal Rastra Bank, is officially launching its services from this coming Sunday.
For the official launch of United Pay Remit, its brand ambassador Captain Vijay Lama will arrive in Sydney on Saturday, as announced by Sushil Pokharel, the head of United Pay Remit Australia.
Pokharel stated that in a place like Australia, where the hundi network is deeply entrenched, there is a pressing need for legitimate remittance services. As part of its market expansion strategy, United Pay Remit has prioritized Australia and opened an office there. “Our goal is to ensure that the hard-earned money sent from here reaches Nepal through the right channels, not through illegal ones. We believe that Nepalis in Australia will support this initiative,” Pokharel said.
United Pay Remit, which also provides services from the UAE, has now established its main office in Sydney. “We are preparing to expand to all major cities in Australia,” Pokharel added.
United Pay Remit is a joint venture between former banker Debesh Bhattarai and businessman Amat Shah, both of whom have extensive experience in Nepal’s banking sector. In Australia, large sums of money sent through hundi often end up in Nepali banks, triggering investigations under money laundering laws. Since senders often cannot show a legitimate source for the funds, even their families in Nepal sometimes face legal complications.
In such circumstances, there is a critical need for legally sanctioned remittance services, said Sydney-based young entrepreneur Rajesh KC. United Pay Remit has also received authorization to handle the refund of tuition fees to Nepal in cases where students’ visas are canceled.
