Outdated tax policy

Dr Chiranjibi Nepal has beautifully portrayed Nepal’s antiquated tax system, “Tax policy” (THT, July 2). It is true that increasing tax rates to boost revenues is an obsolete idea. But clearly, our budget makers don’t seem to understand this. Other countries are switching over to a flat tax system and making tremendous headway.

Backward countries like Nepal tend to make their tax policy more complicated, and that is one of the reasons why Nepal is backward.

Mayju Tuladhar,

Kathmandu

Futile

Even though strong voices are being raised in public against corruption, the government of G P Koirala has maintained its habitual silence on the issue. Koirala does not seem to be

interested in such things as long as his post is secure. We should keep in mind that his close association with corrupt people goes a long time back. Hence, to expect any crackdown on corruption from Koirala would be futile. Only a Satyagraha can make some impact.

Ramesh B Shrestha, Lalitpur

Best course

Nepal is passing through the most critical phase in its history and the institution of monarchy is coming under heavy pressure from all quarters. Everyone is talking about turning Nepal into a republic. But the moot question is: Will abolishing monarchy by itself bring about peace and prosperity in the country? Perhaps this is why the interim parliament is reluctant to take action against the King. Many MPs fear the abolition of monarchy will contribute to communal disturbance, disintegration and anarchy. On such a sensitive issue as monarchy v republic, the best course of action would be to refer the question directly to the people in a referendum.

Vinayak Sharma,Kathmandu

Let down

Rakesh Wadhwa’s article “People power: Nothing like it” (THT, July 2) was disappointing. How can a well-educated man like Wadhwa claim that increase in population causes

prosperity? Its rather just the opposite. There are all kinds of problems when population exceeds the carrying capacity of the earth.

His glee over not being able to control his weight contrasts with the abject poverty of the majority of Nepalis who are suffering from malnutrition. And his claim that “minerals are plentiful now” based on their reduced price is laughable as it’s not the minerals that are increasing but the rate of their extraction, hence the consequent ‘abundance’ and ‘decrease in price’.

Kumud Rana, Kathmandu

Youth in CA

The youth should have a big say in the upcoming polls and may that be the case, in the Constituent Assembly later. The country needs dynamism and vision of the youth who are capable of accomplishing great deeds if they are given the opportunities. Their representation in the CA polls will mark a new dawn for the country. Senior leaders, for their part, should encourage the youth to take an active part in national development. Ideally, around 50 per cent of the candidates for CA polls should be youths because the old guards have failed to provide able leadership.

Prakash Sparsa, Jhapa