Kathmandu, Aug. 17
The Ministry of
Finance has made public the Sixth Customs Reform and Modernization Plan.
Finance Minister
Janardan Sharma unveiled the reform plan at a function held at the MoF on
Tuesday. He also launched the annual report and recommendations of the Nepal
Revenue Advisory Board (NRAB).
Five different
achievements have been projected in the pan. Trade facilitation, realistic
revenue collection, protection and security of society, automated customs
system and organisational development and capacity building are the targets of
the plan.
The document
includes a plan to make the export-import process timely, cost effective and
predictable to facilitate the traders. Realistic revenue collection will be
increased by modifying and enforcing the customs law.
Similarly, under
the protection and security of the society, measures will be taken to monitor
and control the transportation of goods, and means and equipment of
transportation to prevent illegal trade and movement of harmful goods in the
country.
Likewise, all
the procedures of customs clearance will be automated. The 'Nepal Customs
Automation System' will be implemented in 29 customs offices across the
country, Ministry of Finance informed in a statement.
The plan has a
goal to increase the competitiveness of the customs administration under
organizational development and capacity building. The plan aims to increase
organizational capacity to implement modern customs standards.
The Customs
Reform Plan expects to achieve 15 results including trade facilitation,
coordinated border management, voluntary compliance, effective screening,
development and expansion of national one-door system, improvement of physical
infrastructure, strengthening of managerial capacity, national security, public
health, economy, protection of intellectual property, and protection of
environment and society.
Similarly, the
plan expects coordination and communication among stakeholders, robust risk
management, realistic revenue collection, expansion of automated systems,
management of foreign trade data, promotion of ethics and good governance, and
integrated implementation of policies and procedures for social security.
The customs
administration has been implementing customs reform action plan since 2003. The
Fifth Customs Action Plan was completed in July, 2021.
The NRAB has
submitted its first annual report to FM Sharma on the occasion of one year of
its formation.
The board has
also published a book containing various suggestions related to revenue submitted
to the government in the last 13 years.
Speaking on the
occasion, FM Sharma said that the success would be achieved only if the service
recipients were satisfied and the reform plan achieved the expected target.
He mentioned
that the new plan would play an important role in making the customs
administration transparent and simple.
Minister Sharma
has said that he will pay attention to the policy and legal reform plan as it
would be instrumental for the overall reform initiative.
He said that the
suggestions given by the Revenue Advisory Committee would serve as important
reference material for future policy making.
Speaking on the
occasion, Finance Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini said that the issues included
in the customs reform plan were the personal performance commitments of every
employee working in the customs sector.
On the occasion,
Director General of the Customs Department Yamlal Bhusal and Chairman of the
Nepal Revenue Advisory Board Mahesh Prasad Dahal had given a brief presentation
on the topic.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 August 2021.
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