Govt mobilizes three revenue operation teams

KATHAMNDU, Sept 24: Taking into account the possibility of revenue leakages ahead of festive season, the government has mobilized three separate revenue operation teams authorizing them to take prompt action against those found involved in revenue evasion. Directors of the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) are leading the teams.



“We´ve mobilized three teams comprising of officials from DRI, Department of Customs (DoC) and a team of police personnel on highways, border points and major markets having high potential for revenue mobilization,” said Shanta Bahadur Shrestha, director general of DRI.[break]



According to Shrestha, the teams have been mobilized in eastern and western parts of Narayani Zone as well as in the capital.



The teams have the authority to conduct raid at any business firm, take documents there under their control, seize smuggled materials, check suspicious vehicles, and charge persons found involved in revenue evasion as per the Revenue Leakage Control Act 1995.



“In addition to taking on the spot action against unscrupulous traders, the teams have also been assigned with the responsibility of creating awareness against revenue leakage in a bid to garner support from the public in the drive against revenue evasion,” said Shrestha.



The government has already constituted a central level Revenue Leakage Control Committee led by Finance Secretary to formulate policies and give necessary directives to the concerned agencies in a bid to minimize revenue leakage in the country as per the Revenue Leakage and Control Program 2011.



Similarly, it has also formed a high-level Revenue Leakage Monitoring Team (HRLM) led by the director general of DRI and having representations from high-ranking police officials and customs officials to monitor operation teams at the field level.



“The high-level committee will start its works from next week. It will regularly review actions conducted by our operation teams,” said Shrestha, who is also the coordinator of the HRLM.



Meanwhile, DRI has unearthed more than 300 new cases of misappropriation of Indian Currency by eight trading firms. The DRI has already confirmed 599 cases of IC misappropriation by those firms.



DRI estimates that those firms misused more than Rs 770 million worth of IC through Birgunj-based branches of different commercial banks by producing fake customs declaration forms. According to DRI, those firms misappropriated more than Rs 530 million through Birgunj branch of NIC Bank alone.



A team of Nepal Rastra Bank is also looking into the cases since last week.

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