Source::Rss
The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) has raised concerns over the decision to impose 13 percent value-added tax (VAT) on air travel tickets for visits abroad and demanded its withdrawal. The government announced in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2023–24 that it would levy a 13 percent VAT on air tickets for visits abroad. NATTA, as a representative body of tour and travel agents, believes the imposition of VAT on air tickets for international travel would negatively impact the tourism sector.
"The provision of charging a 13 percent additional tax on air tickets for foreign visits makes it challenging to afford international trips when the international travel fair is already expensive, and it is capable of affecting the travel and tour business," Chair Ramesh Thapa said in a press statement today. As he said, the decision to levy an additional 13 percent VAT on air tickets for foreign travel is applied when the process is made from Nepal and is not charged when proceeding for tickets from abroad.
"The domestic tour and travel business is certain to be marred by the decision it is struggling to make in a post-COVID-19 situation. The decision hampers recovery efforts after the pandemic." Thapa further argued that the decision to impose an additional two percent luxury tax on the services of high-end hotels and restaurants was not expected at all. However, NATTA welcomed the government's decision to observe the period from 2023 to 2032 as a visit year.
The priorities for the construction of the Nijgadh Airport and other airports, the revival of cultural heritage, the identification of new touristic destinations, and the acceleration of infrastructure development are other positive aspects of the budget. The decision to allocate an additional over 2.5 billion in budget to the tourism sector than in the current fiscal year encourages the related community, it is said._Rss
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