Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel.

November 23: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has stressed on the need to increase the ambit of tax and to minimize tax leakage in order to increase revenue collection.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new building of Inland Revenue Office in Jorpati, Minister Poudel pointed out to the need of increasing participation of people in voluntary payment of tax.  

He also instructed revenue officials to strictly implement market monitoring, research, administrative review, collection of taxes and clearance of arrears.

He also instructed the concerned authorities to adopt customer-friendly approach, facilitate in tax payment process, cost reduction and use of technology as much as possible.

The minister also directed all the offices under the Inland Revenue Department to increase the reach of taxation and to work toward changing the perception of the public toward tax officials.

Minister Poudel was of the view that a strong base for tax collection is possible only through a healthy commercial relation between the tax payers and the tax collectors. He added that the National Tax Day would play a vital role to bridge the gap.

He also told the tax officials to act like a public servant and not like administrators in order to encourage the public to pay taxes.

Finance Minister Poudel also claimed that the government succeeded in attaining the revised target of tax collection despite an economic meltdown due to coronavirus and subsequent lockdown as well as restrictions in the last fiscal year.

He also thanked the government employees who worked relentlessly in revenue collection despite the threat of coronavirus.