Jun 12, Kathmandu- Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat is of the opinion that the users of electric vehicles of 50 to 100 KW capacity are not ordinary people. He said this while replying to a question raised by the members of the House of Representatives in the budget statement for the financial year 2080-81.

Minister Mahat has commented that the people who ride electric vehicles are not common after the criticism of increasing the tax on electric vehicles that are used by common people.

"It is rumored that the one with higher capacity has been reduced, and the one that is up to 100 kilowatts for the general public has been greatly increased", He said, "The thing is that these are not ordinary people who climb up to 100 kilowatts. Even now, it is comparatively more expensive than petroleum vehicles.”

The Minister of Finance argues that since the price of vehicles of these capacities is expensive, the people who buy such vehicles are not common people or common people.

He said, "Even those of up to 125 kilowatts show below 100 and that is the minimum duty. Since it is being used, the tax of 50 to 100-kilowatt-capacity vehicles has been increased by classifying vehicles so that this does not happen".

Similarly, in the case of electric vehicles, the Minister of Finance argues that since one capacity vehicle can be reduced, the vehicle has been classified in a 'logical' manner.

"There is scope for them to do a little variation on this electric vehicle, even above 100 kW, 125 can come within 100 kW, so they can manipulate it like that. Keeping that in mind, we have classified electric vehicles into five categories”, he added.

In the budget proposed by Finance Minister Mahat, it is mentioned that 10 percent customs duty will be levied on up to 50 kilowatts. Similarly, 15 percent customs duty and 10 percent excise duty for 50 to 100 KW capacity, 20 percent excise duty and customs duty for 100 to 200 KW capacity, and capacity of 200 to 300 kW will be charged 40 percent customs duty and 45 percent excise duty respectively, and in the case of more capacity, the same rate as before will be charged were mentioned. Mahat says that by increasing taxes, the government will achieve two goals.