KATHMANDU: The umbrella organization of Nepali transport entrepreneurs has threatened to go on strike if its demands are not addressed within a week. If the government doesn’t implement previous agreements there will be no option but strike, said Dinesh Bhandari, chairperson of National Federation of Transport Entrepreneur Nepal (NFTEN).

The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) and NFTEN had agreed on three points — the phase-out of 20-year-old vehicles, airport taxies and LPG-run tempos — last year. According to the plan, MoLTM has to provide 99 per cent customs duty exemption for airport taxies and 75 per cent for LPG-run tempos.

As per the plan, MoLTM decided to scrap LPG-run tempos on September 9 without providing compensation and tax exemption. This move made LPG-run tempo entrepreneurs angry and they are staging protests against the decision. “LPG-run tempos are our organizational members and we cannot abandon them,” Bhandari said.

MoLTM must implement phase-out of three sectors at the same time and provide tax exemption in importing microbuses, NFTEN general secretary Dol Nath Khanal said. Earlier, MoLTM had promised to give customs duty exemption in all three sectors but the Ministry of Finance (MoF) refused to allocate funds in the budget 2009-10.

“MoLTM must withdraw the provision of non-transfer,” said Bhandari, “We can’t accept the five-year no transfer decision.” MoLTM had made a provision that ownership of microbuses imported after scrapping LPG-run tempo can’t be transferred for the next five years.

NFTEN has also asked the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) to effectively implement the

third party insurance scheme. “It should be simplified and effectively implemented,” said Bhandari.

According to Bhandari, DoTM must empower the District Administration Office (DAO) to clear insurance related processes within 21 days. The last amendment in Transport Management Regulation 1997 section 55 (c) has given rights to the Chief District Officer to coordinate in matters of insurance issues.