Former Energy Minister Kulman Ghising has accused the government of ignoring the recovery of billions of rupees in outstanding electricity dues from big industries while imposing extra taxes on common citizens.
Kulman Ghising Criticizes Government Over Unpaid Electricity Bills
Former Energy Minister Kulman Ghising has accused that government is not making effective efforts to collect premium electricity dues from industries. These industries used dedicated and trunk line facilities when the country was suffering from load-shedding. He expressed his thoughts on Facebook on Sunday, saying the government is ignoring to collect this big amount.
Ghising questioned why Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Nepal Electricity Authority are not taking steps. Some industries already paid their first installment, but government is not collecting remaining installments. He mentioned that in past, political interference stopped the recovery, but now there is a government with almost two-third majority, so nothing should stop them.
The Contrast in Tax Rules
He said that bringing up the administrative review issue again, which was already settled, only creates confusion in the collection process. According to him, this goes against the rule of law and good governance. He added that the law should not be strict only for ordinary people while being soft on big businessmen.
Ghising also pointed out a major contradiction in government decisions. While the government is not showing interest in collecting arba of dues from big factories, it has decided to put a 5 percent value added tax on household consumers who use more than 50 units of electricity in a month.
Call for Action to Save State Revenue
He believes that good governance cannot be measured just by big speeches and promises. It is measured when the political leaders show the willpower to apply the law equally to every citizen. Ghising has urged the government to immediately start collecting the remaining dues from the industries to protect revenue of state.
AI Disclaimer: This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. It has been translated with the help of AI. For the best understanding and accurate facts, we recommend reading the original Nepali version.
