POKHARA, June 25: Pokhara Metropolitan City has identified tourism as one of the major sources for revenue mobilization.

Unveiling the budget for Fiscal Year 2019/20 on Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Manjudevi Gurung said the metropolis will widen the tax net by targeting tourism among other sectors.

The metropolis has said that necessary preparations will be made to levy tourism consumption fee and monument entry fees on foreign tourists. The local unit had unveiled plan to levy taxes on tourists earlier also. But it was put off due to strong protest from tourism entrepreneurs.

The metropolis has also said that it would also bring cooperatives under tax net.

Deputy Mayor Manju Devi Gurung has unveiled a budget of Rs 7.54 billion for FY2019/2020. As per the budget speech, the metropolis will provide some tax waivers on building permit fee if the proposed building has underground parking facility. Similarly, it has decided to provide 50 percent waiver on building permit fee if buildings are built as per traditional design using traditional materials.

The metropolis has decided to celebrate the coming fiscal years as Tax Compliance Year. It has also decided to raise property tax, house rent tax, business tax and advertisement tax in an integrated manner."The metropolis will mobilize mobile teams to make house rent tax effective," Gurung said, adding that Pokhara Metropolitan City will provide some tax waivers for agriculture sector. Similarly, it has announced 30 percent tax waiver for differently-abled, women and members of backward community interested to start business firms. Likewise, 30 percent the metropolis is providing 30 percent waiver agri business registration and 10 percent discount in land and property taxes if payment is done within mid-January.

It has announced 100 percent tax waiver on export of plastic materials less than 20 microns and broken glasses.

Project implementation top priority for Butwal

The budget of Butwal Sub-metropolitan City for the upcoming fiscal year 2019/20 prioritizes urban infrastructure development, tourism, trade and industry.

The sub-metropolitan city has decided to celebrate the upcoming fiscal year as 'Project Implementation Year'.

The sub-metropolis, the temporary capital of Province 5, has envisioned reducing unemployment rate in the city as well as preparing a base to develop Butwal into a mega city.

Deputy Mayor Gumadevi Acharya presented a budget of Rs 1.9 billion for FY2019/20 on Tuesday. Of the total budget, Rs 779.8 million (41 percent) is capital budget while the remaining Rs 1.12 billion (59 percent) has been set aside for recurrent expenditure.

The budget size is Rs 350 million higher compared to the budget of the current fiscal year. The sub-metropolis has presented a budget of Rs 1.67 billion for the current fiscal year.

The sub-metropolitan city has identified tourism, agriculture, industry and trade as the base for the sub-metropolis' prosperity.

 
• pokhara
 
• tourism
 
• revenue