Kathmandu, August 11
An umbrella organisation of transport entrepreneurs has demanded that Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle provide a concession on customs duty when importing parts of electric vehicles. It would help encourage an environmentally friendly transport system, they argued. A team led by the chair of the Nepal National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs, Punya Prasad (Saroj) Sitaula, submitted an 11-point memorandum to the Finance Minister on Monday.
The delegation requested the Minister to take immediate measures to address the existing problems in the transport sector. The Federation reminded the government that the transport sector had an investment worth Rs 13 billion and four million families depended on it. The transport entrepreneurs also urged the government to enforce the report submitted by the probe commission led by former government secretary Dipak Subedi, ensure timely revision of the Motor Insurance Rate Directive 2073, and give direction to the Insurance Authority accordingly.
The government is also proposed to establish an ‘accident relief fund’ by imposing an additional fee of one rupee per litre on fuel (diesel/petrol) and one rupee per unit on electric vehicles. The fund can be further reinforced with the allocation of one per cent of the insurance premium and an additional amount from the government. The Federation advocated for making a strict provision on imports of vehicles, abolishing the 72-hour facility given to Indian freight and passenger vehicles, amending the Company Act, and implementing a uniform tax system.
The Minister suggested forming a powerful ‘transport authority’ for effective regulation and development of the transport sector, and reconsidering the operating hours of tippers in the Kathmandu Valley. Receiving the memorandum, Finance Minister Dr Wagle assured that the genuine demands of the transport sector. The Ministry would conduct a necessary study on the transport entrepreneurs’ demands and take appropriate steps accordingly.
