Tanker entrepreneurs warn closure of service

Various associations involved in water supply in the Kathmandu Valley through tankers therefore have demanded revoke of transportation tax being levied by the local government.

At a press conference here today, Coordinator of Tanker Operators’ Joint Struggle Committee Ujjwol Shakya lambasted the imposition of additional tax to entrepreneurs once the latter paid off business tax and income tax.

Moreover, the committee has also called for the government to secure private sector investment of billions of rupees in water processing and distribution industries which are in operation to reduce drinking water crisis in the Valley.

It may be noted that around 700 tanker operators have been supplying over 50 million litres water every day in the Valley.

They warned that most of the industries would be forced to shut down their operations with the imposition of taxes ignoring the aspirations of entrepreneurs who have been contributing to the supply of drinking water to Kathmandu denizens even during the rainy season.

The struggle committee consists of six different associations of drinking water entrepreneurs, Valley drinking water source and tanker operators, Valley drinking water boring operators, Nepal water tankers and source entrepreneurs and Nepal water bottle industry.

Different municipalities based in the Valley have collected transportation tax in the range of Rs 300 to Rs 500 since this fiscal year.