NA Meeting: Call for probe against FM over tax changes
KATHMANDU: A demand for investigation into Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has been raised in National Assembly over allegations of manipulation of tax rates through the Economic Bill and leakage of pre-budget information.
During Friday’s session of the Upper House, lawmaker Shee Krishna Prasad Adhikari from the Nepal Communist Party called for a formal probe into the minister, claiming irregularities in recent fiscal decisions.
Adhikari argued that once a bill is tabled in Parliament, any amendment should only be carried out through parliamentary procedures as mandated by the constitution. He alleged that a five-point letter issued by the Ministry of Finance—aimed at correcting “ambiguities and linguistic errors” in the Economic Bill—resulted in changes to tax rates.
He further raised concerns over the timing of the developments, questioning the sudden influx of electric vehicles ahead of the budget speech and the subsequent changes in tax structures within the bill. According to him, these incidents have created widespread suspicion and cannot be taken lightly.
“The urgency behind altering tax rates before the ruling on the bill is questionable. I demand an investigation into the concerns raised against the Honourable Finance Minister,” Adhikari stated in the House.
