Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada held twice the position of the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission (which is equivalent to the Minister of Planning) of Nepal during 2015-16 and during 2009-2010. He served as the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank during 2010-15. Prior to this, he worked as a Senior Economist in the UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo for three years (2006-2009). He has also served as a Member of the National Planning Commission for the Government of Nepal from 2002 to 2005.

Dr. Khatiwada was Head of the Economic Research Department of the Nepal Rastra Bank from 1999 to 2002, a postgraduate teacher at Tribhuvan University in 1982, and intermittently a visiting faculty member at Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University from 1992 to 2001. Dr. Khatiwada received his Master’s degrees in Economics and Public Administration from Tribhuvan University in 1981 and 1984, respectively, and a PhD in Monetary Economics from Delhi School of Economics in 1991. Dr. Khatiwada has carried out a considerable amount of research and has authored and co-authored many books and articles. Dr. Khatiwada is currently engaged in advocating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and supporting SDGs based planning and implementation in his capacity as one of the SDGs Champions for Asia and the Pacific.