Government outlines power of excise duty officials

Kathmandu, March 5

The government has decided to specify working area of offices under Inland Revenue Department while fixing the powers of excise duty officers.

Speaking at a press conference organised in Singha Durbar today to announce the decisions of March 1 meeting of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yubaraj Khatiwada said the Cabinet had also decided to grant authority to the director general of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution of Bangladesh.

The government has authorised signing of a memorandum of understanding between Salt Trading Corporate Limited and Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. Baikhunta Aryal, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply has been granted permission to negotiate with Bangladesh to prepare list of Nepali products to be included under Preferential Trading Agreement.

The government has appointed Ishwor Raj Paudel as Consulate General of Nepal in Kolata and recalled Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal.

Paudyal will be replaced by Mahendra Bahadur Pandey. Resignation tendered by Yubaraj Koirala, legal advisor to the Investigation Commission on Protection of Government, Public and Trust Land, has been accepted.

The Cabinet has also designated the chief of Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project as adjudicating authority for the second phase of the project to be implemented with financial assistance of the Government of China.

Super Madi Hydropower Project has been authorised to use 6.95 hectares government land and clear forest areas within the land as per necessity to construct powerhouse, penstocks, access road and other structures.

Procedure of issuance of licence to private sector for international air service has been approved. Minister Khatiwada said Rajendra Bahadur Aryal of Gulmi was appointed chairperson of the Minimum Wage Fixation Committee.

The government has approved five new positions of gazetted level for the projects being executed by the Ministry of Urban Development.