Chitwan, November 19

The ongoing blockade and Madhes agitation have affected revenue collection across the country.

In Chitwan, sources at the Inland Revenue Office, Bharatpur, said revenue collection has dropped by 25 per cent in the first four months of the current fiscal. “Despite our target of 3.68 billion rupees, we have managed to collect only 2.77 billion rupees in revenue in the first four months this fiscal,” informed the revenue office chief Tikaram Bhushal, adding, “The collection makes up 75.23 per cent of the targeted collection.”

According to Bhushal, among all, collection of excise duty has been the worst affected by the unrest in the Tarai and the blockade. “As for excise collection, we had a target of 3.18 billion rupees, but collection till the end of mid-November stood at just 2.17 billion rupees, which is 68.32 per cent of the targeted collection,” Bhusal said, adding there was however improvement in the collection of income tax, house rental tax, VAT and education tax.

“While there has been improvement of 142 per cent against the target in income tax, house rental tax has recorded improvement of 115 per cent against the targeted collection in the first four months,” Bhushal added. The revenue office has targeted a collection of 11.81 bn rupees this fiscal.