Budget overlooked our demands, says NADA

Nepal Automobile Dealers' Association (NADA) has expressed dissatisfaction over the government decision to not lower customs and excise duty on vehicle imports in the budget for Fiscal Year 2016/17. Issuing a statement on Tuesday, NADA said that their request to lower taxes for increasing people's access to automobiles fell into deaf ears yet again. "Country's development depends heavily on transport sector. A strong transport sector can be developed only by increasing people's access to automobiles," Anjan Shrestha, president of NADA, said in the statement. "The government should revisit its decision and reduce excise and customs duty on vehicles." Similarly, Shrestha also said that decision of keeping taxes on automobile spare parts, tires and lubricants intact would further flourish grey market of these products. NADA has expressed dissatisfaction over increment in road repair and maintenance fee, stating that the government has not used the fund collected under this heading for improvement of road networks. Welcoming the reduction of customs duty on electric vehicles to 1 percent, NADA urged the government to introduce technical standards for the electric vehicle industry. NAD also welcomed the decision to levy 5 percent infrastructure tax on petrol, diesel and aviation fuel. It, however, has urged the government to collect the tax from Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) not consumers. Source: Republica