The Secretariat of Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has clarified that the import of electric vehicles before the budget was conducted through regular and legal procedures. Following claims that customs duties on some vehicles were reduced after the budget, the Secretariat has denied allegations of information leaks as baseless. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has revised the responsibilities of staff at the Rasuwa customs office to further investigate the clearance process. Kathmandu, 26 Jestha.
The Secretariat emphasized that all vehicles imported prior to the budget followed established and regular import procedures. This statement was issued after accusations emerged suggesting that vehicles were brought in through the northern border points before the budget, potentially benefiting traders due to leaked information about increased taxes in the upcoming budget. “This incident is related to the Korla customs office in Mustang and the Rasuwa customs office. Over 200 electric vehicles were imported through Rasuwa customs and 649 through Korla, all following the regular import procedures prior to the budget,” the Secretariat said in an official statement.
The Secretariat also refuted claims that vehicle importers had received advance notice from the budget-making authorities regarding increases or decreases in customs duties. Economic clarifications revealed that Laxmi E-Mobility (Kathmandu) imported 200 vehicles of the KAI brand through the Rasuwa customs office. However, it was noted that all customs payments were reduced only as per the budget provisions. “If importers had received information about a reduction in customs duties, they would not have risked importing vehicles at the higher rates before the budget; their advantage would have been only if they imported vehicles after the budget,” the statement said.
