KATHMANDU, Jan 11: The Council of Ministers meeting, which was held in the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar on Friday night, brought an ordinance to amend various laws.
According to the ordinance, non-resident Nepali citizens who have resided in Nepal for ten years will now be eligible for a free visa.
Other arrangements in the ordinance are:
- There will be a legal provision for using the Nagarik App in service delivery.
- The mandatory retirement age for civil servants has been raised from 58 to 60 years.
- To simplify the works of the Government of Nepal, government authorities must act to conclude works for service seekers within 7 days, failing which might result in legal action.
New law requires acid sellers to acquire license
- Provision has been made for the confiscation of criminal property and instruments (such as vehicles and others) involved in the crime.
- At the court verdict implementation, some government cases will be settled by allowing defendants to pay compensation to victims and if defendants settle cases with the victims, penalties will be waived.
- Failure to deposit the full fine during the implementation of the court order doesn’t result in jail time for defendants if they pay at least 15 percent of the full fine amount.
- National identity cards will gradually be made mandatory for social security allowances.
- Teachers are included in the pension fund.
- The Yogmaya Ayurvedic University Operating Law has been amended.
- Nepali IT companies will be allowed to invest abroad, compete with foreign markets, and generate income in Nepal, and open branch offices abroad.
- Revenue disputes up to Rs 30 million can be decided by the Revenue Leakage Investigation Department. There is no need to wait for a decision to pay the amount in revenue leakage cases, and a settlement can be reached after paying the fine and the amount.
- A provision has been made for expedited mediation to end delays caused by mediation in disputes in government contracts.
- Non-resident Nepali citizens can open a company in Nepal without having to obtain permission for foreign investment.
- Clear provisions have been made regarding the sale of employee shares received by company employees.
- Companies can be registered easily, but the hassle of closing them has been eliminated, and the penalty for liquidating a company that is not doing business and wants to close will be waived.
- Initially restricted to manufacturing, the Special Economic Zone can now have service-based industries.
