Finance Minister Wagle Directs Officials to Implement Action Plan Against Revenue Leakage

Kathmandu. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has directed the Central Revenue Leakage Control Committee to develop and implement a strategic action plan to curb revenue leakage.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, Member of the House of Representatives Sushil Khadka, secretaries from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Home Ministry, Finance Ministry, Revenue Secretary, heads of security agencies, and directors general of relevant departments.

During the meeting, Uttarkumar Khatri, Chief of the Revenue Management Division under the Ministry of Finance, presented the current state of revenue, high-risk areas for leakage, the roles of relevant agencies, challenges, and future directions. Departmental heads also briefed the committee on their respective efforts and challenges.

Home Minister Gurung emphasized the need to end the trend of shifting responsibilities and blaming others among government agencies. He directed the preparation of a 'dedicated action plan' with clear timelines and highlighted the necessity of providing adequate infrastructure and equipment at border points.

Finance Minister Wagle noted that while the administration successfully manages major events, it often fails in routine tasks due to a lack of a 'mission model' approach. He instructed that routine work be conducted under a 'task model' and clarified that the government will adopt a policy of reducing tax rates while expanding the tax base to increase revenue.

Furthermore, he stated that the government aims to create an environment of tax compliance while encouraging individuals and groups involved in smuggling to shift toward self-employment and entrepreneurship through state policies.

Ministry spokesperson Tankaprasad Pandey informed that the meeting concluded with decisions to clarify inter-agency responsibilities, implement the action plan immediately, reduce the number of non-filer taxpayers, expedite the recovery of arrears and settlement of irregularities, resolve tax disputes promptly, enhance the capacity of relevant agencies and personnel, and continue systemic reforms.