SANGAM

Ex-king Gyanendra willing to pay tax as commoner
By Sangam Prasain

Kathmandu, Aug. 12 - Finance Minister Surendra Pandey on Wednesday disclosed that the former king, Gyanendra Shah was ready to pay property taxes and telephone, water and electricity bills as other Nepalese citizens.
Through his helper, Shah approached the Ministry of Finance to pay the taxes on a regular basis, Pandey informed the journalists.
According to the information provided by the Ministry, former king Shah in his intent letter has requested the government to determine the tariff of 24 telephone lines and electricity and water bills of 10 houses he has been using recently.
Shah also requested the Ministry to determine the land revenue of Nirmal Niwas, Jiwan Kunja and Shova Griha, where his former royal families have been residing.
Pandey informed that the other bungalows and land of the former king are already listed under state property. He said that the Nepal Trust Office, which has been formed to investigate into Shah’s properties, is working on the matter.
According to the Ministry, of the 24 telephone lines used by the former king, seven are in Nirmal Niwas, three in Jiwan Kunja and three in Shova Griha. Similarly, Prerena Shah is using five lines and Dilasa, Sitasma and Shova are using three lines each.
Minister Pandey said that the former king’s assistants have requested the Ministry for discount in income tax as well as concessions in his phone and electricity bills.
He, however, denied the request for the concession and discount in the tax. "We will provide easy facility in regard to the payment of taxes and tariffs," he added.
The deposed king and his families had been brought into the tax net before the democracy movement in 2006. However, there was a controversy between the Government of Nepal and the former king on how much tax to be levied and how much to be paid.
The issue regarding the payment of land revenue and other tariff remained controversial as the Local Development Act that had a provision of no-tax and tariff to the king constitutionally declared to be above law, and the issue came to the purview of the Ministry of Finance.
The case was again closed as the economist at the Ministry defended that the issue did not fall within its jurisprudence. The file was then forwarded back to the Ministry of Local Development.
On the same occasion, Minister Pandey also said that the government would distribute Permanent Account Number (PAN) compulsorily to all the tax payers as announced in the recent budget for the fiscal year 2009/10.
Under this provision, the first PAN numbers will be given to the President and the Prime Minister and other Ministers respectively.