Economy News The Rising Nepal (Daily)

Task force on local taxes suggested

Kathmandu, Nov. 25 (RSS): People from the local bodies and the business sector have suggested the formation of a joint task force comprising of the representatives from these sectors for resolution of problems arising out of the various taxes and levies being raised by the local bodies.

The suggestion was made at a joint meeting of representatives of various district chambers of commerce and industries, the district development committees (DDCs), the Municipality Association of Nepal and the VDC Federation, Nepal organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) here on recently.

The joint meeting was organised with the objective of deliberating on the problems created due to the levying of various taxes and tariffs by the local bodies and to seek out the solution.

The participants of the meeting stressed the formation of separate committees at the central and local levels for resolving problems resulting from the present tax regime, provision to spend the bulk of money raised from local tax in the development of the locality at the source of the tax and to stop the practice of collecting local tax through the bidding system.

Welcoming the participants at the meeting, the first vice-president of FNCCI Rabi Bhakta Shrestha said it is not the intention of the industrialists and businessmen to evade taxes levied by the local bodies.

Since it is a problem common to both the business sector and the local bodies, it should be resolved through the joint efforts of both sides, he added.

The third vice-president of FNCCI and convenor of the FNCCI task force on local tax, Binod Bahadur Shrestha noted that both sides should think over for the long-term solution of the local level problems.

He said the committee to be constituted for resolution of the problem should deliberate both on the course of action and the ways of resolving the problem arising out of a multitude of taxes being raised by local bodies in the context of many options open for taxation.

Former president of the Federation of DDCs, Nepal Madhav Poudel said it is the duty of the local bodies as well as industrialists and businessmen to work for national development.

Such interaction programmes should be held from time to time not only for resolution of local level problems but also for the local development, he further said.

Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Bidur Mainali said the local bodies were ready to help solve the problems encountered by the industrialists and businessmen and that such problems could be solved easily through open discussions and two-way interaction.

Member of the VDCs Federation, Nepal Nawaraj Gelal viewed that the joint task force to be constituted with representatives from both sides would play the role of an effective pressure group for bringing the government to task regarding the local problems.

Representatives of the District Chambers of Commerce and Industries and various commodity organisations as well as officials of the Local Development Ministry were present at the meeting.

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