Opposition Leader Calls for Parliamentary Probe into Finance Minister's Actions

Kathmandu. Opposition party leader and former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has demanded the formation of a parliamentary committee for investigation, accusing Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle of devaluing parliament. Pun alleged that Finance Minister Wagle threatened MPs in a manner that devalued parliament while responding to queries from MPs on the upcoming fiscal year's budget.

Speaking in parliament, leader Pun asserted that Finance Minister Wagle committed economic crime and insulted parliament by admitting to altering tax rates in parliament. He stated that the Finance Minister's crime could not be hidden by creating a narrative of 'old and new' to divert the issue. Citing Finance Minister Wagle's statement about tax rate changes in the previous year, Pun demanded an impartial investigation into such incidents from all past and present terms.

"We had given the Finance Minister the benefit of the doubt. Various issues were raised in parliament during zero hour and special time," Pun said. "The way the Finance Minister responded in the Public Accounts Committee and during the discussion on the Economic Bill has devalued the sovereign parliament and the committee. There has been an attempt to threaten MPs, and we strongly object to this."

Emphasizing that the executive branch and its members must be accountable to parliament and parliamentary committees, Pun stated that it is unacceptable for the Finance Minister to dismiss the queries and clarifications raised by MPs as mere accusations. "The Finance Minister has openly admitted to altering seven tax rates, which is an economic crime," he added. "We were not saying we committed a crime, we were only raising questions. But he threatened, saying 'I did it, what will you do?'. This is an insult to parliament."

Pun challenged that he is ready to investigate tax rate changes from his own tenure as well as all previous years. He stated that a crime was admitted from the parliament's rostrum and demanded a ruling from the Speaker. "Last year 73 were changed, one cannot say I only made 7 this time. Whether it's 73 or one, a crime is a crime," he said. "Two years ago, I myself presented the budget. Let my tenure also be investigated, last year's also, and this year's also, I am ready for that."

He proposed investigating with only the new MPs who have come to parliament this time and maintaining the dignity of parliament. Stating that everyone knows where tax evasion and policy corruption occurred, he claimed that the rates were changed to benefit specific brands of vehicles.

He mentioned that there is a specific legal process where the ministry prepares the bill and the cabinet approves it, and stated that ministers or employees cannot arbitrarily add or change pages. Citing the precedent where an investigation committee was formed regarding budget leakage when Bharat Mohan Adhikari was Finance Minister, and the budget was formed based on its report, Pun demanded, on behalf of the opposition parties, the formation of an immediate parliamentary investigation committee without hiding crimes in the name of new and old.