Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded the government to control the price of petroleum products by reducing tax rate in view of the impact of the rising price of petroleum products on people’s lives.

A meeting of the work execution committee chaired by party President Gagan Kumar Thapa concluded to this effect.

Issuing a press release signed by NC Spokesperson Devraj Ghimire, the meeting said that the increase in the price of petroleum products in the international market due to the crisis seen in the Middle East has directly affected the Nepali consumers. According to the NC, the increase in the price of petroleum products and gas has had a huge impact on kitchen expenses, business, employment, agricultural production and tourism sector.

The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded the government to make arrangements to return the value added tax (VAT) that has automatically increased with the hike in the price of petroleum products. It is believed that this will reduce the impact of inflation to some extent. Also, the Congress is of the view that the infrastructure development tax should be removed as it has become irrelevant in the present context.

Likewise, the NC urged the government to reduce or remove various taxes including customs, road repair and improvement fee, pollution control fee and green tax for a certain period. Stating that the current tax structure has created a situation where the Nepal Oil Corporation has to buy at a high price and sell it at a cheaper price, it has been stated that a clear tax concession policy is needed to overcome this.

Stressing the need of reducing tax on petroleum products by reviewing the overall tax system, the NC has also urged the government to bring special subsidy program to provide relief to the students from the increasing transportation cost.