Thapa comments that the government has secretly withdrawn 32 to 34 thousand rupees from the back pocket, as if it had put 20 thousand rupees in the front pocket.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that the budget brought by the current government has created the illusion of providing relief to the middle class and has instead increased the economic burden.
Speaking at the first program of the 'Suvarna Shumsher Economic Series' organized by the Congress Policy and Research Foundation in Sanepa on Sunday, President Thapa said this. Although the government seems to be trying to please the middle class by raising the income tax limit to Rs 1 million, Thapa argues that the common citizen is suffering due to the increase in taxes under other headings.
He commented that the government has secretly withdrawn Rs 32 to 34 thousand from the back pocket as if it had put Rs 20 thousand in the front pocket. He mentioned that imposing a 3 percent parity fee on education, an additional fee on health and a 13 percent VAT on electricity consumption of more than 50 units will significantly increase the annual expenditure of the middle class. He said that private schools and hospitals are not luxuries but have become a necessity for citizens due to the weakness of the state, and it is wrong to impose taxes in those areas.
Chairman Thapa claimed that the revenue mobilization target brought by the government is baseless. He said that the government's claim of increasing revenue on a large scale cannot be believed when economic activity in the market is sluggish, real estate transactions have decreased and money is piling up in banks. Also, stating that the Finance Minister's past and present views on taking loans are at odds, Thapa urged to pay attention to the productivity of loans. He said, "Rather than how much you take, the main thing is for what purpose you take the loan and what its productivity will be."
Commenting on the budget allocation for the agriculture sector, Thapa said that the amount allocated for the purchase of fertilizers is insufficient. He alleged that the government has increased the number only for cheap popularity, as additional budget is required to purchase fertilizers in the same quantity as last year due to the increase in prices in the international market.
Similarly, instead of encouraging the private sector in the information technology (IT) sector, the government itself is engaged in activities such as developing apps, which will shrink the sector. He said that the government has not paid attention to it despite the fact that there is room for revolutionary change in agriculture through the establishment of a land bank and land use regulations.
President Thapa expressed concern that the government is trying to 'rule by law' rather than 'rule of law'. He warned that the Nepali Congress will strongly oppose any attempt to use the law as a weapon to fulfill vested interests.
