Taskforce formed for cooperative reforms

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 10: The government has formed a taskforce for cooperative sector’s reform.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Tuesday afternoon at Singha Durbar took the decision to this effect, according to Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma. 

After the Cabinet meeting, Minister Sharma said that the Cabinet had decided to form a working group for the reform of the cooperative sector.

The Cabinet meeting has also decided to promote Rewati Raman Paudel to the post of Secretary of the civil service under the Nepal Agriculture and Forest Service Group.

Similarly, the government has decided to allow the Nepali citizens coming from abroad to bring a maximum of two mobile phones with them.

Minister Sharma said that the meeting of the Council of Ministers had decided to amend the Jhitigunta regulations and allow individuals to bring a maximum of two mobile phones with them.

According to the previous arrangement, one was allowed to bring only the mobile phone that he/she was using. Because of the previous arrangement, complaints were received that many mobile phones were confiscated at the Customs Office of Tribhuvan International Airport. 

After the implementation of the latest decision of the Council of Ministers, now all Nepalis can bring up to two mobile phones from abroad. 

Minister Sharma said that the two Ministries—the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and the Labour Ministry - will do the necessary homework to bring the decision into implementation soon. 

Further, the Cabinet meeting has decided to implement Mobile Device Management System (MDMS).

It is a centralised government-owned system to keep a record of any and all phones and similar electronic accessories that enter the country via their unique IMEI number(s). This includes smartphones, feature phones, bar phones, tablets and mainly any gadget with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). Earlier, the government had also decided to implement this system but failed to do so due to various reasons.

The implementation of MDMS induces people to pay customs duties, taxes, and VAT helping the government to earn more revenue. As per the existing rules of the Department of Customs, people can bring only one smartphone and tablet without paying taxes or customs at the airport in Nepal. 

44 Joint Secretaries transferred 

Similarly, the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday decided to transfer 44 Joint Secretaries of the Nepal government.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, among those who have been transferred include newly appointed Joint Secretaries working in various ministries.