KATHMANDU, MAY 13 A complaint has been lodged at the Prime Minister's Office against businessperson Vishnu Kumar Agrawal who is the Managing Director of Kathmandu based MAW Group, accusing him of engaging in tax evasion worth crores of rupees through fake VAT bills, a charge MAW denies. The accuser states in the complaint that Agrawal's main company- Morang Auto Works- had already been implicated in a fake VAT bill case in 2011 and the matter remains unresolved. Stating that at present, Agrawal has established other companies under different names, the complainant said Agrawal, in collusion with major businessmen in Nepal, has been carrying out tax evasion using fake value added tax (VAT) bills. The complainant further stated that in 2011, a committee formed to investigate tax evasion had identified him as a key accused. The complainant states that the investigation committee formed in 2011 regarding fake VAT bill fraud had identified him as guilty in its report. The complainant said the investigation committee report stated that operator of Morang Auto Works Vishnu Kumar Agrawal, had continued committing tax evasion under various names until now. Meanwhile, Executive Director (PR), MAW Group Milan Babu Malla told THT that MAW Group categorically refutes all allegations of customs evasion, VAT evasion and tax evasion filed against it at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on May 8. MAW group said in a press release that these allegations are entirely devoid of facts, evidence or any legal basis. The group said the complaint was written with the malicious intent to mislead the Prime Minister and his team, and to deliberately harm the company's trade and business. MAW Group said conducting media trials and branding industrialists and businesspersons as guilty on the mere basis of an unverified complaint is unwarranted. Such actions demoralize the business community, erode confidence and have a far-reaching negative impact on the investment climate. The business group stated that MAW Vriddhi Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd has been importing Foton brand electric vehicles in full compliance with international standards - declaring the correct HS Code, obtaining all necessary customs clearances and paying the full customs duty as determined by the customs office, strictly as per the rules. In fiscal year 2023/24, the Office of the Auditor General reclassified these duly imported EVs under a different HS Code and raised an audit query (beruju). This is not customs evasion - it is an administrative beruju. The company has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court in this regard and the SC has issued an interim stay order restraining the customs office from implementing its correspondence, which remains in force to this day. Levelling serious criminal charges such as customs evasion while the matter is actively sub judice, constitutes a direct interference in the judicial process, MAG group said in its release. The business group said that regarding the allegation of VAT evasion linked to the report of 2011 Morang Auto Works, despite being the aggrieved party, has fully settled all taxes, interest and fines as determined by the Inland Revenue Department and the Large Taxpayers Office through the final and revised tax assessment orders for fiscal year 2010/11 (2067/068). MAW Group said no financial liability of any kind remains outstanding. Furthermore, the claim in the complaint that 'the company has been shut down' is completely false and misleading. Morang Auto Works is not closed and continues to remain fully in existence. All companies within MAW Group have been conducting their economic activities in full compliance with Nepal's prevailing laws and under the regulation of competent regulatory authorities. MAW Group is one of Nepal's highest taxpaying corporate groups and has been repeatedly honoured and awarded by various government agencies. For two consecutive fiscal years - 2022/23 and 2023/24 MAW Hire Purchase Pvt Ltd was recognised by the Inland Revenue Office, Biratnagar, as the highest income-tax-paying company in the service sector.