Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma urged mobile entrepreneurs to assist the government’s efforts to strictly implement the mobile device management system (MDMS). The government is ever ready to promote welfare of mobile entrepreneurs for helping implement the system that aims to curb tax evasion. “Apart from a means of entertainment, mobile is becoming an essential medium. The incumbent government is pursuing ‘faceless governance’ while materialising ‘mobile in hand, internet at home’ campaign launched when Krishna Bahadur Bahara was the communications minister in 2063 BS,” she said while addressing the second annual general meeting of the Nepal Mobile Entrepreneurs Federation (NMEF). The minister asked the entrepreneurs to operate a business to repair mobile phones for reuse instead of importing branded ones. The government has a policy of allocating and investing one percent of the total budget in such business as it creates job opportunities at home, and reduces outflow of currency of the country, the minister noted. On the occasion, the NMEF Central President Bharat Bhattarai said mobile entrepreneurs who have paid over Rs 40 billion in revenues and provided jobs to more than 50,000 people have come across problems of various sorts. Some factors like a low margin on sale of mobile phones, ‘unusual’ competition online and offline and the imposition of strict measures on the import of mobile phones have worsened the situation, he said. He demanded the government guarantee professional and social security for mobile entrepreneurs based on the ratio of revenue paid to the state. He assured of facilitating the government to produce skilled workforce at home. Director General of the Inland Revenue Department Dirgha Raj Mainali pledged for relieving mobile entrepreneurs of unnecessary hassles in seeking government service while creating awareness about taxes in cooperation between the Department and the NMEF. Similarly, senior vice president of the Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bishwo Raj Bajracharya called for addressing problems facing mobile entrepreneurs.
