Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said there is no alternative to non-violent defiance of the government's reminder to pay tax during the period of lockdown.
"There is no alternative to non-violent defiance of the government's reminder to pay tax by June 7," Deuba has said issuing a statement on Wednesday. "Do take back the reminder and extend deadline, government."
He has said the main opposition party's attention has been seriously drawn to the reminder sent by the government through the Inland Revenue Department to clear different kinds of taxes by June 7 with utter disregard to the problems faced by small and big entrepreneurs due to the lockdown.
"The government was never serious about making judicious relief arrangements despite repeated urgings by the opposition. Sending reminder to pay the tax when the lockdown has continued for almost two and half months and the current extension is set to last till June 14 is blatantly pretending to not know the plight of market, and insensitive toward the sufferings of the citizens," the statement reads.
He has reminded that the government functions due to the taxes paid by the citizens and pointed that it is the duty and responsibility of the government to play a facilitatory role when the taxpayers are facing adverse situation. "The citizens do not have any alternative to non-violent defiance when the government reminds to pay tax in a harsh manner without fulfilling that responsibility," the statement adds.
He has also accused the government of not taking any initiative to gradual opening of small and big businesses by expanding the scope of PCR testing. He has claimed that reminding to pay tax during the time of lockdown has proved that the government is not serious and responsible but irresponsible and insensitive.
"I demand with the government to immediately withdraw the reminder to pay tax by June 7 and extend deadline through evaluation of the situation and dialogue."
