KATHMANDU, JULY 12

Four umbrella organisations of private educational institutions in Nepal have jointly demanded the withdrawal of the newly imposed 3 percent "Equity Education Service Fee" through the budget for the fiscal year 2026/27 immediately.

A joint press conference was held on Sunday by the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal (PABSON), National Private and Boarding Schools Association Nepal (N-PABSON), Higher Secondary Schools Association Nepal (HISSAN) and the Association of Private Educational Institutions of Nepal (APEIN) to voice their collective opposition to the tax.

The heads of the four organisations said the government's equity fee was unconstitutional and reintroduced a regulatory mechanism that had already proven itself a failure in the past. Speaking at the press conference, PABSON President Krishna Prasad Adhikari said that the private education sector has always offered quality education with its own investment, resources and manpower.

"The government's decision will place an extra tax burden on students and their families, which is completely unjustifiable," said Adhikari.