RSP eyeing nearly Rs 165 million in levies from its lawmakers in five years

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) expects to collect nearly Rs 165 million in levies from its lawmakers over the next five years.

The party’s lawmaker in the 2022 House of Representatives had paid the party Rs 15,000 per month as a levy. If the levy structure remains unchanged, the party will collect Rs 2.73 million monthly from its 182 members in the 2026 House of Representatives. This amounts to Rs 32.76 million annually and approximately Rs 163.8 million over five years.

At the start of the previous term of the House of Representatives, the RSP had fixed a monthly levy of Rs 25,000 for lawmakers. At that time, personal secretaries of lawmakers were also required to contribute Rs 2,500 per month.

However, the levy was later reduced to Rs 15,000 following complaints from some lawmakers. Under the revised structure, lawmakers were also required to contribute Rs 1,500 as a levy on behalf of their personal secretaries.

It is not clear whether the government will provide personal secretaries to lawmakers, as the interim cabinet on September 24 last year decided to scrap the facility of personal secretaries for lawmakers and other political office-bearers, except for the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Speaker, Chairperson of the National Assembly, province chiefs, and ministers of the federal and provincial governments.

RSP leaders, who served as ministers, were required to pay a higher levy of Rs 30,000 per month in the previous term of the lower house.

In less than four years of its formation, RSP has emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives with just two seats short of a two-thirds majority in the 275-member lower house.