Pokhara, March 13

As the extended deadline granted by the metropolis expired today, just a little more than a dozen paragliding companies have paid their tax arrears, while majority of them have chosen to snap their fingers at the ultimatum and continue business as usual.

Earlier, hot on the heels of a series of paragliding accidents, Pokhara metropolis, on March 5, had declared a ban on paragliding activities run by tax defaulters in the Lake City effective from March 6.

Just a day after the declaration, however, the metropolis, following an agreement, had agreed to grant a week’s time for the companies to clear their back taxes.

“In the past one week and a day’s extended deadline just 16 companies have approached us to clear their taxes and renew their business,” said Pokhara metropolis Revenue Department Chief Chhabi Sharma, while Ward No 18 Chairperson Rana Bahadur Thapa of the metropolis vowed to crack down on paragliding companies that had not cleared their arrears, from tomorrow.

There are a total of 56 paragliding companies operating in Pokhara presently. Of them, only Mountain View Paragliding Company is running legally by paying its taxes; the rest have been in business for the past four years without paying anything by way of taxes.

As per calculations, a paragliding company owes around 86,000 rupees in taxes accrued over the past four years since the 2015-16 fiscal.