Kathmandu, July 24

The government today tabled a bill relating to pay and perks of the president and vice-president proposing to provide the president a monthly salary of Rs 150,450 and vice president Rs 108,030.

The bill also proposes to give the president and vice president monthly allowance for hospitality and contingency   expenses equal to their salaries. The bill states that the president and vice president will not have to submit bills for these expenses. According to a source at the Office of the President, under the existing rules, the president and vice-president get these expenses as determined by the Cabinet and the president and vice president need to submit bills for these expenses. The source said that the bill proposed the same monthly salary that the president was getting at present.

The bill proposes that the president and vice-president will get a daily tour allowance of Rs 3,300 in the country and $ 250 for foreign tours. The president and vice-president will get 33 per cent additional daily allowance when they tour  European countries, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Kuwait, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Qatar, Zambia, UAE, Singapore, Lebanon and Bahrain.

The bill also states that the government will pay the medical bills of the president and vice-president when they undergo treatment in the country or abroad. The bill states that the president and vice-president will be given medical expenses if they undergo treatment in foreign countries as recommended by the medical board.

The bill also states that the government will make the payment directly to hospitals where the president and vice-president undergo treatment.

The bill also proposes that the president and vice president will get additional allowance equal to one month salary when they leave office barring the case of impeachment.

The bill also proposes that cases cannot be filed against the president and vice-president for discharging their duties during the time they hold office and even after they leave office.

According to the source, the only increase that the bill proposed was on the clothing allowance for the president. The bill proposes to provide Rs 25,000 to the president as clothing allowance.

“Under the existing rule the president gets Rs 15,000 as costume allowance in two years, but the new bill proposes to give this allowance to the president every year,” the source added. The bill states that president and vice-president will get government money for furniture, fuel for vehicles and other expenses.

The new bill however, proposes that the government could increase the salary of the president and vice -president by issuing notification through Nepal Gazette.

The bill proposes that the president and vice-president will have insurance coverage worth 2.5 million rupees.