Online system launched for people to pay taxes

Kathmandu, Apr. 25: The government has launched an e-payment system in revenue management from Wednesday.

It will facilitate the tax-payers to pay their taxes from anywhere with the help of the online-based system.

The new Information Technology (IT) based facility was inaugurated by Finance Minister Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, and came into effect from Taxpayers' Service Office in Thamel.

The online service will be expanded to all over the country by the end of the current fiscal year 2017/18.

With the help of the e-payment service, tax-payers can pay their taxes from any bank, and it will be updated in the government system in real time.

However, only five banks are included in the system till 16 July 2018.

"The taxpayers can pay the amount without any charges. They can pay the money from others' bank account as well," said Deputy Comptroller General Yadu Bhattarai.

He said that although the tax payments could only be made through the ConnectIPS of the Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) for the time being, payment could be made from any bank, connectIPS of Nepal Clearing House portals of tax administration agencies and other online payment vendors from the next fiscal year 2018/19.

Tax payers can access the Revenue Management Information System (RMIS) of tax administration and prepare their voucher, and can pay the tax online from their bank account by registering themselves in the RMIS and ConnectIPS.

The ConnectIPS account of the taxpayers should be connected with a bank account.  

Revenue Secretary Shishir Kumar Dhungana said that 26 districts in the country had the electronic fund transfer system which would be expanded to all districts by the end of this fiscal year.

"The new system will help Nepal improve its doing business environment as it drastically reduces the processes and time to pay the taxes. We are hopeful that it will also increase tax compliance," he said.

Finance Minister Dr. Khatiwada's first decision was to design and implement an electronic system for revenue payment from the first day of the Nepali New Year. However, as the amendment of e-payment procedure and its approval was delayed, the government couldn't implement on the target date, and it was delayed by 12 days.

"This is a good beginning. There will be improvements in the system according to the feedback from the users in terms of access, information and technology," said Dr. Khatiwada.

He said that the government wanted to create an environment where the service seekers and government officers didn't meet face to face and all the jobs would be performed electronically.

He cited an example of e-bidding at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport where the electronic system had saved about one-third of the budget.

Published in The Rising Nepal on 26 April 2018.