Kathmandu Metropolitan City Begins Removing Advertisements After Contract Expiry and Non-Compliance

Kathmandu. After the concerned officials failed to make contact even as the deadline stipulated in the agreement expired, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has started removing advertisements.

Out of 39 bus stops where Trilok Sanrachana Pvt. Ltd. had placed advertisements under the public-private partnership concept, the city has begun removing the advertisements, including solar panels, from 25 bus stops after the contract ended.

Bishnu Prasad Joshi, head of the Metropolitan Police Force, informed that the Metropolis first signed an agreement with the private company on Bhadra 14, 2069 BS, which was renewed for the first time on Chaitra 26, 2071 BS, and for the second time on Shrawan 25, 2078 BS.

“We have started the removal process after receiving a letter from the Revenue Department for the arrangement to remove or not allow the placement of advertisements if they are not in accordance with the agreement,” he said. “The process of removing advertisements will continue.”

Senior Revenue Officer Pradip Koirala informed that the construction party failed to pay the advertisement tax, which increased annually in proportion to the increased rate of the advertisement tax hiked by the Metropolis as per the latest agreement.

“Although correspondence was made to pay the increased amount by Baisakh 11, 2082 BS, it has not been paid yet. The outstanding amount to be paid to date is Rs 1,613,224,” he said. “The advertisement rate was Rs 700 per square foot in the fiscal year 2078/79 and reached Rs 1,000 per square foot in the fiscal year 2080/81.”

According to Koirala, the advertisement tax of Rs 1,583,939 and the shortfall royalty of Rs 29,285 remain to be deposited.