Department of Immigration collected Rs 2.4bn in non-tax revenue

Kathmandu, July 28

The Department of Immigration today said that it had succeeded in discouraging the activities contrary to immigration laws by conducting fact-finding investigation and prosecuting the offenders.

According to a report card for the fiscal 2017-18 published by the DoI today, the authorities have made the arrival, presence and departure of foreigners systematic and controlled. Similarly, departure and arrival of Nepalis to and from foreign countries have been made more manageable.

“The DoI discouraged the trend of granting trekking permission to foreigners in restricted areas. The three-year strategic plan (2017-2019) drafted by the DoI and approved by then Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma is under implementation,” it said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and the DoI for the first time concluded a 21-point annual performance contract. The DoI informed that it was performing necessary acts in a manner to accomplish maximum outcomes accordingly.

Likewise, appropriate arrangements have been made to share information among the DoI, the MoHA, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Labour and Employment to control and prevent smuggling of contraband, human trafficking and other criminal activities. “The DoI provided training to immigration employees considering the need for capacity development, promotion of good governance, integrity and security sensitiveness in this sector,” the report card read.

According to the DoI, the issues related to immigration management incorporated into the Home Administration Reforms Action Plan issued by the home minister have been implemented in an effective manner. “A network system has been set up in the DoI and officer hereunder. The DoI upgraded the IMMI Software being used in immigration management as to make it contemporary,” it informed.

The DoI conducted public hearings in Jhapa and Kaski, the first of such initiatives outside Kathmandu valley, and heard the public concerns associated with immigration. The Immigration Policy, 2018 drafted by the DoI is in the process of approval following necessary discussion for modification in it.

Similarly, the Foreign Citizens’ Monitoring Guidelines, 2018 was recently approved by Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa and is under implementation. The Immigration Procedures, 2018 is awaiting approval while the Immigration Act, 2018 drafted and submitted by the DoI is undergoing clause-wise discussion.

A committee formed to review the prohibited zones for trekking has already submitted its report to the DoI. “Necessary actions have been initiated to adopt immigration control system with bio-metric facilities,” it said. The DoI collected around Rs 2.40 billion in non-tax revenue in fiscal 2017-18, an increase by seven per cent compared to last fiscal.