BABBLES

By Babbler

The Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority (CIAA) observed its 34th anniversary by organizing a grand program. On the occasion, leaders and also the CIAA officials opined for controlling corruption. Some leaders even asked the CIAA to catch big fish. However, the picture is very gloomy. Day by day, corruption cases are on the rise. The nation is likely to be enlisted in the grey list. The Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank said that even if the country will be categorised in the grey list, it may come out very soon. For several years, we have been listening to the grey list warning on the money laundering case but concerned authorities didn’t pay attention to the warning and now the governor himself seems confident that Nepal is going to be included in the grey list.

Similarly, reports have appeared about the increasing deposit of Nepali nationals in the Swiss Bank. The government is reluctant to investigate the Nepali nationals’ deposits in the Swiss banks.

Corruption practice is uncontrolled in Nepal as the political leaders and the parties have institutionalized it. When candidates have to pay cash in advance to get any government position to the political leaders and parties, corruption practice has been rampant. When the political power protects those involved in corruption, such a practice becomes uncontrolled. This trend is going to flourish as the present political system is based on corruption.     

Delayed construction works

Most of the construction companies have failed to complete the construction projects on time. This is not a new disease. Along with the introduction of multiparty democracy, the nation is suffering from such a disease. The reason is that the authorities keep holes in the contract paper, through which, they can make money. The construction contractors are compelled to pay commissions to the authorities. When the profit amount goes to the commission, the construction contractors become reluctant to complete the project. Without overhauling the regulations related to procurement, the problems that surfaced in the construction sector cannot be resolved. Nevertheless, our corrupt government authorities are reluctant to resolve problems.

Taxation terror

Prabhu Shah, chief of the Aam Janata Party and former Maoist leader, said that the general public is suffering from the taxation terror. He asked the government how long the general public should suffer such a terror!

The government, when failed to manage funds to spend, imposed taxation in every sector to achieve the revenue target. Perhaps, Shah, a Maoist leader, is not aware that since the nation adopted federalism, the government expenditure has increased tremendously thus far the government is compelled to impose tax in every sector.

In every digital transfer of money, the government is collecting VAT worth 13%. It is a cashless system and it obviously saves transactions of cash, from which, the government should not need to print paper notes as much as in the past. From this also, the government is saving money, yet, the government is taking money while in digital transaction.

The government is even collecting tax from every air passenger due to which, airfare in Nepal has become expensive. We talk about promoting tourism and attracting foreign direct investment but in every footstep, we have to pay tax, furthermore, our work cannot be done without paying tips or say service charges to the concerned authorities while receiving the government service. How can we promote tourism and encourage foreign direct investment in such an environment?

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Ron Paul, a respected personality in American society once said, “Foreign aid is money raised from poor people in rich countries and given to rich people in poor countries.”

Dhruba H Adhikary

 Need to balance two things: 1) US $ 36 T US debt. Can they afford foreign aid?  2) Nepal rejecting (or rather not even replying to) the Russian proposal to develop some 18 projects sent via the Upper House Chair including roads, children's hospitals, and hydropower. Time for reckoning both ways!

Dipak Gyawali

 Majority of the population understood that 'Prithivism' is better for Nepal than 'Marxism, Leninism' or other 'foreignism'. The leaders need to understand. One may ask then why didn't people vote for the Rastriya Prajatantra Party? There are other reasons. Yet the short answer is: It is always difficult to break the chain of 'political kidnapping' in any society and system. But it breaks - definitely breaks.

Rabindra Mishra

Citizenship is not an item to distribute in the market.

Surya Prasad Upadhaya

In Nepal, there was a custom and culture of community development by doing Jan Shramdaan (people’s volunteer service) till my father's time or say until the government started to receive foreign grants. This culture is lost in many places today.

Mahabir Pun

(Excerpted and compiled by Sushma Shrestha)