Ujyalo Nepal Party Continues Signature Campaign Against Electricity VAT

Kathmandu. The signature campaign launched by the Ujyalo Nepal Party to abolish the Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on electricity tariffs and to collect long-pending arrears of dedicated and trunk lines is ongoing. The party continued the signature campaign at Maitighar Mandala in the federal capital on Wednesday. The Ujyalo Nepal Party has become agitated in protest against the government's imposition of additional VAT on electricity tariffs from the current fiscal year. Speaking on the occasion, party central secretariat member Rajendra Awasthi accused the government of imposing additional financial burden on the public instead of making hydropower the basis of prosperity, despite Nepal being a rich country in water resources. The party has put forward the demand that the VAT imposed on electricity tariffs should be removed immediately and the government should show promptness in collecting the outstanding tariffs from industrialists for the use of dedicated and trunk lines. The party stated that it had to come to the streets to create pressure as the government ignored repeated suggestions. Speaking at the program, secretariat member Awasthi said that although hydropower is the main basis of prosperity, the government has instead put the public in trouble by imposing VAT on electricity. He said, 'We are rich in water resources and our belief is that hydropower is the main basis of our prosperity. But instead of giving due priority to this sector, the government has instead put the public in trouble by imposing VAT on electricity.' The party has stated that this signature campaign, which started from Maitighar, will be expanded nationwide. Awasthi informed that the campaign has been conducted with the objective of gathering the support of all citizens against the government's decision which directly imposes financial burden on the public.