Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has demanded the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate Minister for Finance Swarnim Wagle.
Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Friday, NCP lawmaker and former finance minister Barshaman Pun said an investigation was necessary as Wagle’s remarks undermined parliament.
Pun objected to Wagle’s statement that he had made changes to only seven budget headings, compared to 67 changes made by previous governments. “A wrongdoing remains a wrongdoing, regardless of how many times it is committed. The committee should take this matter seriously,” he added.
He also said the Finance Minister openly admitted that he altered seven tax rates. “This is an economic crime. We had not accused him of committing a crime; we were merely seeking clarification,” Pun said. “But he responded in a threatening manner, essentially saying, ‘Yes, I did it. What are you going to do about it?’ This has undermined the dignity of Parliament. The Speaker should issue a ruling on this matter, and an investigation should be conducted.”
He also said it was inappropriate for the finance minister to threaten lawmakers by saying that he would reopen files related to past scandals.
Pun had also raised the matter during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee earlier on Friday.
