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By Our Reporter
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated five electrically run buses, but these buses are dumped in the garage. A corrupt bureaucracy and indecision of PM Oli himself are responsible for not operating these buses in the roads of Kathmandu.
The fact is that the then secretary Krishna Devkota, who wanted some personal gains from the suppliers of such buses while approving their operation created a a hurdle by saying that the buses were not manufactured in China as per the tender submitted by the manufacturing company, BYD –- a world reputed e-vehicle producing company of China. Now, the secretary has already been transferred to another ministry and the file is impending at the Tourism and Civil Aviation ministry. Currently, the Ministry is also being looked after by the PM, yet, the PM has not given a clean chit to run the very buses inaugurated by him and which should have been running in the Kathmandu streets. This is very shameful for PM Oli himself.
The manufacturer company has already submitted the documents with the evidence that the country of origin of the buses is China. However, the buses were brought via India. This is an example how the bureaucrats plays on regulations for their petty interests.
PM Oli has expressed commitment to replace the petro-products operating vehicles by e-vehicles. The No 3 province has announced replacement of such petro-product operating vehicles from the province. On the implementation part, the very government organs are discouraging operation of such e-vehicles.
Air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley is at a very alarming level. The major contributor for such worsening pollution is the petrol/diesel operating vehicles. Above 40 percent vehicles have failed in meeting air-pollution standards. Meanwhile, we can see jacket advertisements in newspapers and attractive advertisements in electronic media on arrival of any kind of new brand of vehicles along with attractive offer to the buyers. Drivers are stuck in long traffic jam for hours daily as vehicle flow is much higher than the City’s road capacity. In spite of such a traffic condition, the government, specially the Finance Ministry, is found encouraging imports of such petro-products consuming vehicles just to earn more revenue. The government offices are fond of purchasing new vehicles instead of carrying out maintenance of the old vehicles. It is because, there is an attractive amount of commission while purchasing new vehicles. The premises of the government offices have turned into dumping sites of such old vehicles. The concerned officers are reluctant in disposing old and non-functional vehicles.
There is a very high customs tariff on the import of fuel consuming vehicles. There is upto 250 percent revenue such vehicles have to pay. The Finance Ministry, which is always under pressure to meet the matching fund for the government expenditure, is totally dependent on heavy import tax on vehicles. If vehicles will not be imported, it will be difficult to meet the matching fund for the government expenditures. Along with the increasing rate of vehicles, it has contributed in the increase of import of fuel by 15 percent a year and the quantity of import of fuel is increasing day by day.
If import of e-vehicles is encouraged, the customs tariff on such vehicles will be very nominal, which will not benefit the government or the bureaucrats in their own ways. Therefore, the government is compelled for importing fuel consuming vehicles although the country is facing acute deficit on international trade and also facing negative balance of payment.
Similarly, the corrupt officials in the Transport Management Department are creating hurdles while approving e-vehicles’ standard and capacity.