PM Dahal directs FinMin to sort out issues in import of personal mobile sets

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has issued a directive for promptly addressing the complaint related to the mobile phone sets brought by Nepali nationals from abroad for personal use. The Prime Minister issued the directive in response to a complaint from the citizen level. PM Dahal had issued a similar instruction to the authorities related to the mobile phone set brought from abroad for personal use. Despite the earlier instruction from the head of the government in regard to the smartphone sets brought for personal use, an employee at the customs office in Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) reportedly prevented a Nepali national returned from the United States of America to pass the checking with the additional set. According to Prime Minister’s Press Coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma, PM Dhal today again directed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, to make necessary provisions towards that end. “In response to public concerns and complaints over the news report that the customs employee at TIA barred the Nepali from the US to pass with an additional phone sets on Monday, the Prime Minister directed the Finance Ministry to promptly address the issue,” Sharma said. The Prime Minister has sought to address any legal and policy-level issues in regard to easing the process to bring two mobile phone sets by any Nepali national returning from abroad. It may be noted that earlier the Finance Ministry had decided to impose up to 18% excise duty on the import of an additional mobile phone set for personal use.  The decision sparked widespread protest and criticism. The decision followed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority's move to implement the mobile device management system on December 30. The MDMS which was said to be implemented for discouraging the grey market of smartphones was suspended following the Prime Minister’s directions a few days ago. READ ALSO:

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