During the inauguration of the Birat Trade Expo, which began in Biratnagar on Wednesday, Finance Minister Khanal clarified that the government's policy is to view the private sector as a partner of cooperation, not distrust.
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Interim government Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal has said that effective implementation of federal governance and technology-friendly tax administration have been put forward as the main pillars of economic reform.
During the inauguration of the Birat Trade Expo in Biratnagar on Wednesday, he clarified that the government's policy is to view the private sector as a partner of cooperation, not distrust. He informed that the government is moving towards making tax administration completely online, hassle-free and 'faceless'.
He claims that the 'business process reengineering' underway in the Internal Revenue Department will reduce taxpayers' time and costs. For this, he claimed that preparations are being made to introduce the digital tax system that has been successful in Estonia and South Korea in Nepal.
On the issue of federalism, Finance Minister Khanal clearly indicated that the past practice of limiting authority to the center would end. He stressed that the federal government should be liberal in giving administrative and service delivery rights to the provinces and local levels. 'The situation where local level people's representatives have to go to the ministry to ask for employees is not in line with the spirit of federalism,' he said.
He also informed that the old practice of intimidating the private sector in revenue management has been abandoned. He said that instead of a full audit, a risk-based testing system has now been implemented, which will reduce unnecessary pressure and focus monitoring only on real risks. “If businessmen are trusted, the culture of paying taxes will develop on its own,” he said.
Stating that the priority of the interim government is good governance and corruption control, Khanal claimed that the recent progress in corruption cases has shown the government’s commitment. He claimed that the work of making services effective through reforms in customs and revenue administration is progressing rapidly.
Referring to political stability, Finance Minister Khanal reiterated that there is no doubt that the election will be held on the scheduled date of Falgun 21. He said that the election has been ensured due to internal preparations and the support of the international community. He urged voters to stay away from options that create instability and to actively participate in the election.
Informing that discussions are also underway on the option of ‘no vote’ on the ballot paper to make the election process more democratic, he said that preparations are being made to legally ensure the right of citizens to express their dissatisfaction.
