Government announces Rs 1 million bumper prize under taxpayer incentive scheme

Kathmandu: The government has announced the first winners of its Taxpayer Incentive Gift Programme, with one participant winning the Rs 1 million bumper prize.

Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle selected the winners at a programme organised by the Inland Revenue Department. Fifteen regular prize winners and one bumper prize winner were announced.

According to the Department, coupon number 007315254493 won the bumper prize after the holder purchased goods worth Rs 250 from Shiva Krishna General Store.

Launching the programme, Finance Minister Wagle said the initiative aims to promote the culture of issuing and receiving VAT bills, encourage digital payments and strengthen the formal economy. He said it would also help make the country’s public financial system more transparent and reduce revenue leakage.

The minister said transactions made through digital payments are automatically recorded in the system. He added that transactions worth about Rs 25.6 million have already been recorded in the first phase, with more than Rs 7 billion included in the system.

Inland Revenue Department Director General Bhishma Kumar Bhusal said the winners were selected through a secure computerized random draw, ensuring every eligible coupon had an equal chance of being selected.