KATHMANDU, June 14: The main opposition CPN-UML has criticized Finance Minister Janardan Sharma for his alleged role in the manipulation of tax rates in the budget at the eleventh hour. 

Recent media reports have accused the finance minister of altering tax rates hours before the announcement of the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 on May 29. 

Once a meeting of the House of Representatives convened today, UML vice chairman and lawmaker Surendra Pandey sought time and drew the government’s attention to media reports accusing the finance minister of manipulating the tax rates in collusion with unauthorized people before presenting it in parliament.  He stressed that the finance minister should resign from his post on a moral ground. 

“After facing a serious charge, the finance minister is expected to clarify about it in the House. Even lawmakers of the ruling parties have questioned his role in the alteration of tax rates and even after all these, does he still expect to hold the post?” he asked. 

While the provisions require even the ministers and secretaries to put their communication devices in lockers during the discussions on tax rates in course of preparing the budget before it is presented in parliament, the finance minister has been accused of violating the norms by tweaking the tax rates in collusion with unauthorized persons he had brought along with him, he said. 

 
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