MoneyGram has opened two new agent locations in Nepal at the base of the Himalayas near Mt Everest, through its agent partner Samsara, a Kathmandu-based remittance company.

This expansion of MoneyGram’s services in Nepal represents the latest success in MoneyGram’s efforts to expand its presence on the Indian subcontinent. In India alone this year, MoneyGram has added more than 6,000 agent locations and the company remains focused on adding more locations throughout the region to meet the vast and growing remittance needs of the people.

Harsh Lambah, regional director for South Asia at MoneyGram, said: “These two new agent locations will instantly introduce MoneyGram services to some of the most rural parts of Nepal. For both residents of the region and tourists to the area in need of money transfer services, these new locations will save them the trek of three days or more that they would ordinarily have to make to receive transactions.

“Despite the remoteness of these locations, this region of Nepal supports a vibrant tourist trade. By establishing money transfer services in the region, we are bringing an unprecedented level of access to money and convenience that’s sometimes beyond the ability of traditional banks to provide, while helping further stimulate the local economy.”