Speakers at a programme organised here today by the Inland Revenue Department to mark the Fourth National Tax Day stressed on the need of mobilising the internal resources and extending cooperation to the government in welfare activities.Inaugurating the programme, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel said that since it is the duty of every citizen to pay taxes to the state, we should all oblige.
"There is no alternative to tax and we assure you that the tax you pay would be properly utilised," the Finance Minister asserted.
While expressing the belief that the country would head towards prosperity as the political differences have lessened, Minister Poudel stressed the need of strongly discouraging tax evasion, effective revenue mobilisation, qualitative improvement in customs evaluation and bringing the quality tax-payers into the ambit of taxation.
"Let us move ahead making our economy dynamic and I pledge the government would work with commitment for that and we would get rid of the ongoing crisis," Finance Minister Poudel said, addressing the private sector as a way of facing the present problem steadfastly.
He said that the Ministry of Finance was preparing to issue a White Paper on the present status of the economy and the future strategy and made it clear the government would not allow the self-dignity and pride to be undermined. "This nation would not be a failure and the government would not let the economy to fall," he added.
Chief Secretary Dr Somlal Subedi said the economy could not improve to the desired extent due to the lack of political stability in the country and expressed the hope that the situation would change for the better in the coming days.
Noting the public corporations have not been able to generate profit and the outstanding revenue has been increasing which has reached Rs 46 billion, he underlined the need of reducing this. The Chief Secretary also directed the bodies concerned to mobilise the amount accumulating in the social security fund.
Finance Secretary Suman Prasad Sharma said it is the responsibility of all citizens to cooperate to the government in the tax collection for mobilising economic resources.
Revenue Secretary Rajan Khanal underlined the need for making timely changes in the tax system.
President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Pashupati Murarka spoke on the need of expediting efforts to normalise the current economic crisis.
Director General of the Department of Inland Revenue Chudamani Sharma, Deputy Director General Ram Mani Duwadi and former Director General Maheshwar Sharma Poudel and the outstanding tax-payer Dr Upendra Devkota said it is the duty of a civilised citizen to pay tax.
Murarka who was declared the highest tax-payer, the outstanding tx-payer Dr Devkota, the former Director Generals as well as employees and students securing best places in the quiz contest, poetry and essay writing competition were honoured on the occasion.
The government has been celebrating the 1st of the Nepali month Mangsir as the National Tax Day since last three years. RSS
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