Kathmandu, August 25
The government’s reward scheme for taxpayers has led to a sharp increase in consumer awareness about asking for bills, with the number of complaints against businesses refusing to issue bills also rising, according to the Inland Revenue Department.
Under the taxpayer incentive programme, every purchase bill can effectively become an entry into a government lucky draw, with consumers eligible to win prizes of up to Rs 1 million. The department says this has prompted more consumers to demand bills from businesses.
Keshav Raghuvanshi, director and information officer at the Inland Revenue Department, said the first month of the reward scheme showed a sharp increase in awareness among consumers about the importance of taking bills.
However, he said complaints that businesses are still refusing to issue bills remain common, even in major commercial centres such as New Road.
“Most of the complaints currently coming through Hello Sarkar are about shops refusing to issue bills,” he said. “This shows that market monitoring also needs to be increased.”
The department is preparing to step up monitoring, he said.
“After purchasing goods, consumers have the right to receive the original bill,” Raghuvanshi said. “Our objective through the reward scheme is also to create awareness about asking for bills.”
The department has received a particularly high number of complaints about businesses that are registered under PAN but still refuse to provide original or official bills.
Reward scheme participation surges
The Inland Revenue Department’s data shows a sharp increase in the number of consumers participating in the reward scheme during its first month.
The programme began on July 17. During the first 15 days, consumers uploaded 7,077 bills from cash transactions to participate in the scheme.
That number jumped to 357,149 between August 1 and 16.
A similar increase was seen in QR transactions.
The number of QR transactions automatically entered into the reward scheme stood at 25.608 million during the first 15 days. It increased to 32.086 million during the second 15-day period.
According to the department, the total number of transactions in the 16 days after July 31 reached 32.443 million.
Under the programme, the government has begun awarding Rs 100,000 every day after tax deductions, while a bumper prize of Rs 1 million is awarded every 15 days, also subject to tax deductions.
‘The state has invested in a campaign for aware consumers’
Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle views the government’s reward scheme as an investment in consumer awareness.
Speaking at an event held at the Ministry of Finance last week to announce the second fortnightly prize, Wagle said the government had invested in consumers as part of an awareness campaign.
He said the campaign was launched to promote a culture of issuing and taking bills.
According to Wagle, the programme aims both to increase government revenue and bring more people into the formal economy.
He said the experience of the first month had generated excitement among consumers.
Wagle has also called on those who have won prizes to act as ambassadors for the government’s campaign.
“You have now become a symbol in your village, municipality and constituency. You can say, ‘I am the one who won the prize,’” he said, asking the winners to work as special ambassadors for the campaign.
What do the winners say?
Hemraj Joshi of Kailali won the Rs 1 million bumper prize after purchasing goods worth Rs 250.
He said the government’s reward scheme would encourage consumers and businesses to develop the habit of taking and issuing bills.
“If this habit continues among all consumers, it will also contribute to the economy,” he said at the event held at the Ministry of Finance last week.
Joshi also said he had stopped carrying cash since QR payments were introduced in Nepal. He said he generally relies on QR payments, although he has occasionally found himself in difficult situations when cash was unexpectedly required.
Himal Aryal of Gaindakot, who won Rs 100,000 in the first fortnight, said he initially thought someone with the same name might have won the prize when his name appeared on Facebook.
He realised the prize was his only after receiving a message on his phone.
Aryal won the prize after making a payment for ice cream with friends in the evening.
He said the government’s reward scheme could make a significant contribution to bringing economic transactions into the formal system.
After he won the prize, he said, his friends also started keeping their bills safely.
