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The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has urged taxpayers to pay tax on their businesses within the determined time.

Issuing a notice, the Department of Revenue of the KMC requested to pay tax and get a discount facility. The KMC has offered exemption in property tax, rental tax and business tax.

The notice reads that 10 percent exemption has been offered on the tax amount of the current fiscal year if it is paid within January 14, 2024.

Similarly, additional 30 percent discount would be offered in the case of taxpayers who have operated a hotel, resort or movie theater on their own land or taking such facilities already constructed on lease in the metropolitan city, if they pay property tax with arrears by mid-January 2024.

It is stated that property tax of the parking lot of a building constructed with the purpose of commercial parking of vehicles would be exempted for 10 years from the date of completion of the building construction.

There is a provision of 95 percent discount on business tax and registration fees of an industry or enterprise operated under the 'One Ward, One Model Industry' program for three years after the registration of the industry or business.

A 40 percent tax exemption on the total tax amount has been provided to industries, businesses, companies, organizations registered in the name of women and people from the indigenous nationalities and Dalit communities, people with disabilities of whichever age group and youths below 35 years of age and which are not under tax coverage in the Fiscal Year 2080-81 BS, which have capital investment up to Rs 500,000, if they pay the tax within January 14, 2024.

Similarly, a 25 percent tax exemption has been provided in the case of regular tax-payers.

However, individuals who are the permanent residents of Kathmandu Metropolitan City will get a 50 percent tax exemption on such tax if they pay the tax within the stipulated date.

The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has come under scrutiny for leasing out large tracts of land at nominal rates to various agencies, raising suspicions of irregularities. 

Jagat Deuja, a member of the National Land Commission, said that the commission was currently examining a report prepared by the PADT regarding its land and property. The investigation includes a review of lands leased out to other agencies, as well as those that have been encroached upon.

One notable case involves the leasing of 1,161 ropanis to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for a 99-year contract. According to the agreement signed in 2017, TIA is required to pay Rs 10m annually to the PADT. Prior to this agreement, TIA was paying a meager amount equivalent to only one muri three pathis of paddy (approximately 80 kg) per ropani as leasing fee.

The Tilganga Eye Center is another entity that has taken five ropanis of land from PADT on a 49-year lease, with an annual leasing fee of Rs 40,000 per ropani. Although the lease agreement was signed in 2015, the center had been using the land even before that period.

In addition, the PADT has struggled to receive the leasing fee for one ropani of land being used by Gaushala Dharmashala which has been utilizing the land for over 80 years. The leasing contract with Gaushala Dharmashala was signed about 20 years ago, and as per the agreement, PADT is entitled to receive Rs 51,000 annually as leasing fee.

PADT’s land has also faced encroachment by various individuals and groups. Approximately 100 ropanis out of the total 534 ropanis of land in Gothatar have been encroached upon by so-called squatters. Additionally, there have been attempts by various groups to gain control of the land for operating sand quarries.

Tokha Municipality has dismantled illegal structures constructed by encroaching government and public lands.

The local government has launched a drive to demolish structures built unlawfully on public areas. 

Mayor Prakash Adhikari said that the local government had previously issued  public notices multiple times and held interactions  with the people responsible for encroaching on public land with a request to voluntarily remove illegal structures.

"We are compelled to bulldoze the structures as our calls for cooperation went unheard." 

The mayor stressed that public land must be under government protection and its use for personal interests is not permitted.

Police on Wednesday arrested an Indian national for his alleged involvement in robbing the NMB Bank in Mahottari Rural Municipality of Mahottari.

The arrestee has been identified as Ajay Kumar Safi (20) of Bihar.

Police said that he was a member of a group that robbed Rs 1.5 million from the NMB Bank.

He was apprehended from the Nepal-India border at Matihani-8 yesterday, DSP Dilip Kumar Giri, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Mahottari said.

Earlier on May 30, a group of four to five masked persons who came on motorbikes robbed the bank by taking the staffers and customers captive.

Police have been searching for the gang since the day the crime took place.

Meanwhile, police said that they identified the other accused in the crime and are intensely searching for them.

Inspector Prakash Malla said that they will be arrested soon.