KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has said the government is effortful to remove Nepal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘Grey List’.

He believed that Nepal could extricate itself out from ‘Grey List’ soon if tax administration could be made transparent, effective and accountable.

Addressing tax officers under the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) across the country from IRD, Lazimpat, today, Finance Minister Dr Wagle laid emphasis that tax administration should closely scrutinize money laundering offenses.

He stressed the need of incorporating taxpayers under the ambit of tax through voluntary tax compliance for tax collection rather than forcefully and terrorizing them.

The Finance Minister urged to speak openly if there is a shortage of anything like human resources, infrastructures and information technology to make tax administration efficient.

He clarified that those working in tax administration and generating benefits to the state would be encouraged, adding the budget for next four years would show the foundation of economy the government wants to build.

Finance Minister Dr Wagle instructed the departmental leaderships to take all types of initiatives to implement exemption plan mentioned in budget, to make taxpayer encouragement programme successful, to increase taxpayer awareness and to digitalize transactions.