Ex-FM Pandey urges Nepal govt to scrap gold-ornament tax for Indian visitors

Nepal's former finance minister Surendra Pandey on Sunday urged the Prime Minister Balendra Shah-led government to exempt Indian nationals from paying tax on gold ornaments, citing the Himalayan nation's potential as a wedding destination.

Speaking at an event in Kathmandu, Pandey said the government should govern minimally and let the market function freely. He stressed that strict rules and regulations will not help Nepal's economy flourish.

Pandey underscored the potential in promoting Nepal as a wedding destination, but said that the government needs to exempt taxing the gold ornaments worn by Indian visitors coming to the country for that.

Nepal allows foreign passengers arriving by air to bring up to 50 grams of gold ornaments and 100 grams of silver ornaments without paying customs duty, provided they take them back upon departure, according to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.

At the event, Pandey, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist, also advised the government to aim for tourism packages targeting 2.5 billion tourists from India and China.

He also urged making the entry of Indian vehicles to Nepal hassle-free to promote tourism.

Tourism is one of the mainstays of the Nepalese economy. It is also a major source of foreign exchange and revenue.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)