Kathmandu, June 19: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) parliamentary leader Gyanendra Shahi on Friday demanded the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate changes in tax rates in the budget and the handling of electric vehicle imports.
Speaking after taking special time from the Speaker, Shahi said a parliamentary probe was necessary into alleged irregularities in customs duty adjustments. He said ruling party lawmakers were responding to calls for investigation by challenging opposition MPs to present “charts” in Parliament.
“There is no tradition in Parliament of individuals bringing charts. We are demanding a proper parliamentary investigation committee,” he said.
Shahi also raised questions over alleged irregularities during the budget preparation process, including concerns linked to Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle’s academic credentials.
He further questioned why electric vehicles that had already cleared customs during the budget period were reportedly held back by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“If there was no issue, why were those vehicles stopped for two weeks?” he asked.
Referring to former finance ministers Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, Shahi alleged that misconduct in governance is being driven by educated individuals rather than the uneducated.
“Academic qualification alone does not guarantee honesty or good governance. This country has not been ruined by villagers, but by a lack of ethics among the educated,” he said.
Shahi also complained of cyber bullying from ruling party members after he demanded a parliamentary investigation.
“We may be poor, but we cannot be dishonest. We may go hungry, but we cannot sell integrity,” he said. “We will not be afraid to stand for the truth.”
He added that a narrative is being promoted suggesting that earlier generations “looted for 35 years,” and that new forces are now trying to justify wrongdoing in the same way. “People did not vote for a repeat of looting,” he said.
Shahi has been consistently demanding a parliamentary investigation into changes in tax rates and related budget decisions.
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