Coordination needed for controlling revenue leakage: Finance Minister

Kathmandu, Feb 5: The Central Revenue Leakage Control Committee has stressed on the need of coordination and collaboration among all agencies concerned from the central to the local for making the control of revenue leakage more effective.     

In a meeting held at the Ministry of Finance today, Committee Coordinator, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, said that special attention should be paid to control illegal export and import through alternative routes as well as in the areas around the customs point.     

He said significant achievements could be made in controlling illegal trade if all the agencies were active in a responsible manner.     

Finance Secretary Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire stressed the need for uniformity in understanding among various bodies on the status, classification and use of import-export goods. He stressed on the need of carrying out works being based on factual information.     

Similarly, Revenue Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire said that it would be easier to control illegal transactions if the production and import of goods is regulated at the source of import. He expressed the belief that the commitment made by the concerned officials in the meeting of the committee would be reflected at the level of implementation.     

Officials present in the meeting pointed out the need to take more initiatives for meaningful results even though there has been a gradual improvement in the control of illegal exports and imports.     

They stressed the need to increase surveillance in the border areas, increase market monitoring and give priority to the use of technology.     

Officials from the Ministry of Finance, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Department of Revenue Investigation, Department of Customs, Department of Inland Revenue, Department of Money Laundering Investigation, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department were present in the meeting.(RSS)