Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Minister for Finance Dr Swarnim Wagle has challenged critics to prove allegations that information about tax changes on electric vehicles (EVs) was leaked before the budget announcement.
Speaking at a meeting of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday morning, Wagle said he was prepared to face any consequences if evidence proved wrongdoing on his part. “If anyone can produce evidence, I am ready to stand in the dock,” he said. “People are talking irresponsibly about losses worth billions. Not two billion rupees—if Swarnim Wagle has committed wrongdoing worth even two rupees anywhere, I am prepared not only to resign as finance minister and lawmaker but also to quit public life altogether.”
Wagle was responding to allegations that information related to tax revisions on electric vehicles had been leaked before the presentation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Wagle also addressed the controversy surrounding electric vehicle taxation. He said a provision intended to reduce the road construction fee on EVs with a CIF value of up to Rs 2 million—equivalent to vehicles costing up to around Rs 5 million in the market—had been mistakenly omitted during the final stages of drafting the budget document.
According to him, the footnote stated that such vehicles would be subject to a road construction fee of 2.5% rather than 5%, but the text was omitted due to a typing error. “The omission occurred while the document was being typed at around 4 am and was corrected immediately,” he said.
