Private sector asks government to bend the law

Private sector asks the government to bend law and let the overloaded vehicles ply on the road, despite limited capacity of the roads.

Asking the commerce and supplies minister Shankar Prasad Koirala not to immediately implement ban on overloaded goods carriers plying on the roads against road capacity, the private sector representatives said that it would hurt import export business, and revenue mobilisation.

A team of Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) led by its president Suraj Vaidya, also asked Koirala, who is also finance and trade minister, to prepare a standard for the overloaded vehicles.

The overloaded goods carriers that are plying on the road arbitrarily have damaged the road conditions in the country, as they are over the load capacity of the road.

Likewise, the umbrella organisation of private sector also asked to extend the tax exemption offer for one more month as the information could not reach the grass root level. "It will be practical to extend one month for the tax exemption offer," Vaidya said.

However the government offer brought through ordinance on the request of the private sector failed largely due to low turnover of the private sector itself.

"The offer was brought through the ordinance and it can be replaced by the ordinance only," the minister said, adding that the incumbent is handing over the power to the newly elected government soon and in no position to bring another ordinance.

The deadline will come to an end on January 15, after when the revenue administration has said that it will come hard on tax defaulters and invaders.

"The tax exemption offer was brought on the request of private sector through ordinance and the government can do nothing to extend the deadline," said finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi, on the occasion.

Asking to take the advantage of tax exemption, he asked the private sector to understand the legal compliance.

"The law will take its course after January 15," said chief of the Revenue Division under Finance Ministry.