The committee, which met two days after Narayanghat-based businessmen violently reacted against raid conducted by revenue squad, raised serious concern over lack of coordination between the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI), District Administration Office and local security agencies during Wednesday´s raid.[break]
Local businessmen in Narayanghat had set ablaze a government vehicle, vandalized a police beat and took revenue officials under their control when the revenue squad dispatched from the capital raided shops owned by Dhruba Kumar Shrestha and Pralhad Shrestha on suspicion of tax evasion.
The 24-member ´flying squad´ led by the director of the DRI Bharat Raj Subedi had scooped down against the two stores, before its action drew unexpected reactions from traders.
“Such mishaps must be avoided in the future. Ministry of Home should take initiatives to assure that. It must also adopt appropriate measures to add teeth to the State´s drive to control revenue loss,” said Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun at the meeting.
He also asked the local administration and revenue administrators to take instant and stringent actions against any individual or group that obstruct raids and other activities aimed at controlling the revenue leakage.
Pun also instructed the DRI to make high-level revenue leakage control monitoring committee coordinated by its Director General more effective so it can carry out sweeping actions against revenue evaders and fulfill its duty in a result-oriented manner. He asked the department to give continuity to sudden scooping actions against revenue evaders by further stepping up the movement of flying squads.
The high level committee also instructed the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police to support in activities to control revenue leakage with top priority.
The committee also reviewed the problems seen in the import and supplies of gold in the market, and asked the customs offices in Tribhuvan International Airport and Tatopani, and local administration to remain vigilant on possible anomalies in the trade.
During the meeting, Pun also asked the Home Ministry to focus on systematizing the sales and transactions of liquor and tobacco products. Under this, he asked the Ministry to stringently check the productions and sales of home-made liquor. “The Ministry has also been asked to make sure that liquors are sold from the authorized outlets only,” reads a statement of Ministry of Finance.
Related story
Darchula incident: Home Ministry writes to Foreign Ministry for...
