Kathmandu, August 6: Ministry of Finance issued a press statement Thursday and said that it would fully and strictly implement value added tax (VAT) from the first of Nepali month Bhadra (August 17th) this year. The decision of fully implementation of VAT had been postponed for the last three years due to the opposition from the business community.
However, the government now wants to fully implement the value-added tax as it would not only increase government’s revenue but provide duty relaxation to businessmen as well, said the Finance Ministry statement.
There will be massive cuts in the customs and taxes to be collected in advance and administrative complications and hassles said the statement. Businessmen were reluctant to register in the VAT citing several administrative hassles and other problems.
The problems businessmen have pointed out will be solved, said Finance Ministry. Any applications or letters addressed to the Ministry and other bodies under the Ministry would be registered and taken into account without any prejudice and bureaucratic procedures with the objective of solving the problems currently existing in the business and trade sector.
Accounts certified by VAT office would be considered fully valid document for the purpose of income tax, tax payers, who have been or have not been registered in the VAT office, are allowed to declare their old stocks of goods by August 16th and such declarations can be made in terms of price also, only 0.5 per cent income tax will be imposed on differing prices of goods thus declared and this will be final, and bills, letter of credit or other documents will not be demanded.
Similarly, assessment of Vat paid by the tax payers will be made in every four year and tax clearance certificate will be provided, tax officers should provide their identity cards while examining the tax, exemption given in the sold bills will be validated in case of value being added and provisions concerning penalties stated in the VAT Act will be simplified.
Arrangements will be made for the waiving of tax for the goods which have been stolen, damaged and whose dates are expired, departmental stores using cash machine will be allowed to sell their goods by putting price tags along with VAT, the press statement of the Finance Ministry stated.
According to the Finance Ministry, those who have taken up the business other than cinema, cigarettes, distributor of alcoholic drinks, dealership, contracts, and tourism in the remote districts are not required to get registered for the purpose of value added tax.
A committee will be formed including private sector to solve local procedural problems concerning VAT and other taxes, transactions prices will be given validity while determining import prices for the purpose of customs evaluation and the customs officers will have to give reason if he or she is not ready to validate the transaction prices.
If any problems arise at the district level about accepting transaction prices, a review committee will be formed at he center to sort out them. For those who have already opened the letter of credit till the presentation of the budget for the Fiscal Year 1999/2000, evaluation will be made as per the existing laws, but in case of the LC’s being amended, the old evaluation system will cease to be effective, the Finance Ministry said.
Kathmandu, August 6: A six-member parliamentary delegation led by Ram Janam Chaudhari left for Colombo, capital Sri Lanka, to on Thursday take part in the Conference of Parliamentarians on Population an Development beginning today.
Other members of the delegation are Arjun Prasad Joshi, Shankar Nath Sharma Adhikari, Netralal Shrestha, and under secretary of parliament secretariat Keshav Prasad Pudasaini.
Kathmandu, August 6: Police raided two dance restaurants yesterday and arrested their owners for allegedly allowing and encouraging indecent activities in the restaurants.
According to police, they raided Sunakhari restaurant in Bhotebahal and Diamond restaurant in Putalisadak on complaints by several people about the immoral activities run in the restaurants.
Police also arrested owners of both the restaurants and some ” dance girls” for necessary action, said police.
Kishor Maharjan and Indra Gurung are the owners of Sunakhari Restaurant and Diamond Restaurnat respectively.
The arrested ” dance girls” are Reshma Kahdka from Nuwakot, Sangita Gurung of Maharajgunj, Saru Pariyar of Chitwan, Manisha Sitaula of Sunsari, Bhavana Rai, Sapana Gurung, and Kavita Gurung.
This raid comes two days after two policemen were suspended for their unruly and indecent behavior in the Diamond restaurant.
Police have also planned to raid and take action against other dance restaurants in the valley if found to have run such immoral activities.
Police, however, did not specify what kind of immoral activities they restaurant owners were doing. But they indicated that prostitution could be one of such activities they were encouraging and promoting in the name of running the dance restaurants.
Kathmandu, August 4: Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai held an interaction with Nepali Congress lawmakers from the Western Development Region at his official residence today.
According to Prime Minister’s secretariat, the interaction was organized to discuss and seek suggestions from the lawmakers regarding current political situation, issues pertaining to development and law and order in the country.
The government wants to move ahead with constructive suggestion from all especially elected representatives. It is the part of this objective to organize the interaction with the MPs from Central Development Region.
Lawmakers gave their suggestion to the Prime Minister on different issues. Prime Minister also assured that the government would take their suggestions into a serious consideration.
Prime Minister already held interaction with MPs from Eastern and Central Development Regions.
Kathmandu, August 4: Finance Minister of Mauritius V.K. Bunwaree left for his country today after completing his three-day official visit to Nepal.
Nepali Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya saw him off at the Tribhuvan International Airport today.
Mauritius Finance Minister paid three-day official visit at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Mahesh Acharya.
Earlier today, Mauritius Finance Minister Bunwaree met with Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai at Prime Minister’s office today.
During the meeting he discussed with Prime Minister Bhattarai matters relating to economic cooperation, trade expansion and joint investment. Both Bhattarai and Bunwaree expressed satisfaction over the conclusion of two agreements on removal of dual taxation and investment promotion.
The visit proved to be very fruitful in consolidating relations between Nepal and Mauritius, said Bunwaree after the meeting with Bhattarai. Ministry of Finance sources said that meeting focused on possibilities of expanding cooperation and joint investment in the field of tourism and banking sector.
Mauritius Finance Minister also observed the proceedings of the meeting of the House of Representatives today.
Kathmandu, August 4: The government has taken action against eight manpower companies and cancelled their licenses for acting in contravention with Foreign Employment Act.
According to Department of Labour, companies which licenses were Kanchan Overseas Pvt Ltd, Maya International Services Pvt Ltd, Kathmandu International Manpower Service Pvt Ltd, Phoenix International Overseas Employment Agency, Universal Human Resources Pvt Ltd, Ashma Employment Agency Pvt Ltd, and Puja International Services.
The government has also notified all public not to make any deal with these companies for the employment abroad.
Kathmandu, August 3: Minister for Women and Social Welfare Chiranjibi Wagle said that the government is serious and committed to protection of the rights of the child and protection of children against sexual exploitation.
Answering the queries of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Lower House of parliament, Minister Wagle said that the government was serious and firm to check sexual exploitation of children and punish those who exploit children.
” His Majesty’s Government has expressed its commitment to protect children and their rights at both national as well as international level”, he said. Nepal has already signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and enacted Children’s Act to translate its commitments into action.
He also informed that the government has adopted a National Plan of Action to ensure full realization of rights of the child and protect children against any forms of exploitation.
Earlier, lawmaker of CPN-UML Ananda Prasad Pokhrel had demanded amendment in the existing Children’s Act in order to make it more effective to check sexual exploitation against children.
Sexual exploitation of children is a crime and those involved in the sexual exploitation of children have not been brought to book at the absence of effective laws. Thus, amendment should be made in the Children’s Act to take stern action against child abusers, said MP Pokhrel.
Kathmandu, August 3: Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai sent a message to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today expressing his deep sorrow over the death of many people in a train accident in West Bengal yesterday.
In a message to Vajpayee, Prime Minister Bhattarai said, ” I am deeply shocked to hear that many people died and several others were injured in a train accident in West Bengal yesterday”.
Bhattarai said ” In this moment of sorrow, I, on the behalf of His Majesty’s Government, people of Nepal and myself, would like to express heartfelt condolence to the Prime Minister Vajpayee, Indian people and all bereaved families”.
Kathmandu, August 3: Nepal and Mauritius concluded two agreements today on expanding economic relations between the two countries and removing dual tax system.
Nepali Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya and visiting Finance Minister of Mauritius V.K. Bunwaree signed the agreements in Kathmandu today on behalf of their own governments.
These agreements are to relieve the businessmen to pay dual tax and help increase trade and economic relations between the two countries, said Nepalese Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya after signing the agreements.
Mauritius Finance Minister Buwaree described the signing of the agreements as the event that heralded a new era in the economic relation between Nepal and India.
Mauritius Minister Bunwaree arrived at Kathmandu on Monday for the three-day official visit of Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Mahesh Acharya.
Kathmandu, August 3: At least 102 persons were killed, 46 injured and 25 were missing as a result of flood, landslides and lightening in the last two months, according to Ministry of Home.
Minister for Home Purna Bahadur Khadka gave this information to the lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Lower House of Parliament, today.
Minister Khadka said that the government has provided relief assistance to the families of those who were killed and others who were injured in different natural calamity related incidents.
The government has already released 6.6 million rupees for the immediate relief to the affected families.