Businessmen close down Birgunj

The Retailers Association of Birgunj has called an indefinite strike in the local town beginning Friday to protest the government raid on shops and business firms.

The town also remained closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to reports, the meeting of the businessmen held on Thursday evening decided to call a general strike after revenue chief Narayan Prasad Bhattarai refused to sit for talks at the office of District Chamber of Commerce to settle the issue. The businessmen had formed a 21-member team to hold talks with government, but Bhattarai asked that negotiation team should not be more than eight members.

When the meeting could not be held by Thursday, the businessmen decided to go for a general strike. They said that they would be forced to stop movement along the border with India if government refuses to sit for talks on Friday as well.

The businessmen allege that they have been troubled by government officials several times in the pretext of tax evasion. Reports quoted Bhattarai as saying that all business houses and shops which have received a PAN number, registered at the VAT office and conducting transaction of more than Rs one million monthly should issue VAT bills while selling goods.

Government has intensified raids in business shops since a month to put pressure on the retailers to issue VAT bills while selling goods. Businessmen in New Road, Kathmandu also demonstrated last month after similar raid by the government for evading taxes. nepalnews.com ia Mar 24 06