Govt vows to end hassles faced by traders
KATHMANDU, OCT 09 -
The government has promised to address traders ’ concerns that they are being unnecessarily harrassed by unauthorized officials in the pretext of checking of food ferrying trucks even after customs clearance.
Speaking at an interaction organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on Monday, the traders complained that chief district officers and police personnel are harassing them along the way in the name of checking.
Bhuwan Lal Shrestha, chairman of Makawanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, blamed Bara’s Chief District Officer Krishna Hari Puskar for raiding the goods carrying trucks as a part of ‘Operation Black.’
Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun assured the traders that the government would put an end to such practices, clarifying that it does not have intention to bother them.
The Department of Customs (DoC) said that it has already held talks with the Ministry of Home to look into the matter and prevent such checkings. The DoC made it clear that only the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) can check such trucks suspected to have evaded tax.
“We have already asked the Home Ministry to help curb such problems as many police personnel were found involved in harassing the traders ,” said Mukti Narayan Poudel, director general of the DoC. He informed that the issue had also been discussed during a meeting of Central Revenue Leakage Control Committee, chaired by the finance minister.
“As the finance minister and finance secretary have already held meetings with their counterparts at the Ministry of Home, the problem will be resolved soon,” he assured.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
