Parliament Secretariat Registers Finance Minister’s Erratum Letter Following Political Pressure

The Ministry of Finance has exerted pressure on the Parliament Secretariat to register an erratum letter amending tax rates in the economic bill already tabled in parliament. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle revised the bill to modify tax rates related to electric vehicle road fees, cinema hall income tax, and educational tuition taxes. Budget experts have raised serious concerns, stating that the government’s amendments to the bill presented in parliament violate parliamentary procedures and serve its own interests. Kathmandu, 21 Jestha.

In bypassing parliament, Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle sought to legitimize arbitrary tax rate revisions in the economic bill by submitting an ‘erratum’ letter for registration. Parliamentary rules and practice stipulate that only the full parliament or committees can amend bills already tabled in parliament. Nevertheless, Minister Wagle sent the erratum letter to the Parliament Secretariat to obtain approval for the amendments.

According to the Parliament Secretariat, the erratum letter from the finance minister was received on 17 Jestha. However, since amendments cannot be registered once a bill has been tabled, Secretariat staff initially rejected the registration. After media coverage of the issue surfaced, sources within the Secretariat revealed that Minister Wagle applied pressure to have the proposal registered.

Former administrators have stated that allowing the finance minister to act on personal whims undermines the very purpose of presenting and passing bills in parliament. “Tax rates set to come into effect from 15 Jestha cannot be changed arbitrarily,” they added. Typically, budget-related bills are passed in parliament in the exact form presented by the government, and the established practice is not to alter even a single word.