Kathmandu. Chairman of Ujjyalo Nepal Party, Kulman Ghising, has said that the government’s policy of imposing VAT on electricity will increase the price and push the country towards energy consumption and self-reliance. He said this while speaking at a signature program organized to create public pressure on the government to remove the VAT imposed on electricity and to recover the arrears of electricity tariff of dedicated and trunk line on Tuesday.

Ghising has objected to the government increasing the burden of tax on electricity by at a time when electricity consumption should have increased.

‘Electricity consumption should be increased in the country. The gas had to be replaced. Petrol and diesel had to be replaced. “We all agree that electricity consumption should be increased rather than wasted,” he said. ’

Ghising criticized the government for imposing tax on electricity, making electric vehicles costlier and imposing VAT on charging stations when electricity consumption has to increase. Tax on electricity, making electric vehicles expensive, VAT on charging stations discourages electricity consumption. This should not be done. “, he said.

He also said that the impact of VAT imposed on electricity will pass on the cost of production to the general consumer. According to Kulman, the price of rice, sticks, cement, oil and other commodities will increase due to the increase in the price ofelectricity. Ghising has accused the government of working against the objective of increasing the use of electric stoves and electric vehicles. ‘How does make electricity more expensive, VAT levied, and how do promote? To promote electric vehicles , we should give concessions in customs and charging stations. “How can we increase electricity consumption by imposing VAT on everyone?” he asked.

On the other hand, the use of gas and petroleum products instead of electricity will lead to a large amount of foreign exchange outflow from the country, according to Kulman.He stressed that the government should adopt a policy to reduce the import of petroleum products rather than collecting limited revenue by adding tax on the public.