Speaking at the program organized to distribute Electronic Permanent Account Number (E-PAN) to artistes on Wednesday, they complained of increasing power cuts, dilapidated condition of roads, irregular drinking water supply and other problems that have been affecting their daily life along with their profession. [break]
“As responsible citizen, we are ready to pay tax to the government. But the government should improve the service that we get from the state,” Shree Krishna Shrestha, a cine artist, said. He also called upon the government to ensure social security to senior artistes by utilizing certain portion of revenue collected from the artistes.
Receiving the E-PAN, another artiste Rekha Thapa also expressed commitment to contribute to the national coffer but asked the government to be more sensitive while delivering basic services to people.
Revenue Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota acknowledged that revenue collection has not materialized as expected due the failure of bureaucracy to increase its presence in different section of the society and convince people about the importance of tax contribution to the state.
He asked the artistes to play the role of honorary ambassadors and help the government boost revenue collection through E-PAN.
Inland Revenue Office Area No.1, Kathmandu, distributed E-PAN to around two dozen artistes to encourage general tax payers register themselves under E-PAN system. Under the E-PAN system, tax payers can declare their income and pay the tax accordingly.
The government had initiated the campaign by distributing first E-PAN to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.
According to the Inland Revenue Department, around 23,000 tax payers have already received E-PAN and over 300,000 have been registered at PAN across the country.
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