The government has made it easy to register vehicles made in Nepal by adding a new provision in the Transport Management Working Procedure Guidelines 2060. The move is expected to facilitate Yatri bikes’ registration more feasible whose lack of it drew wide criticism to the government recently.
The amendment to the guidelines comes after the government was brutally criticized on all fronts for not paying heed to Yatri’s calls for helping with its electric bike registration. Recently, news broke that Yatri’s EV motorbikes production has been halted for months after the government’s prevailing rule didn’t allow its Yatri bikes to be registered which also made it unlikely for the vehicles to have a number plate. In the meantime, traffic police started taking action against Yatri EV bike riders for not having the bikes registered despite the government being the sole entity to blame for it.
Fueling fire to the issue, the media even reported that some of the members had quit the Yatri startup and went to China to find opportunities. The company had to officially reject the rumors with a statement. The people frustrated at the government’s failure to encourage Nepali production, vent their anger at the government, and calls for redress were raised in the parliament too.
Yatri bikes registration is now possible
Finally, the government intervened with an effort. Addressing the widely called-for demand, the government amended the transport management working procedure guidelines in 2060. This paves the way for all Nepal-made vehicles to be registered in Nepal. More particularly, Yatri bikes can now be registered which will end all their dilemma over production and legal affairs.
Yatri launched its first-ever products Project 0 and Project 1 two base and premium electric motorbikes in 2021. But faced difficulty in sustaining the project due to the law that disallowed their EVs’ registration. The issue seems to be addressed with the new provision by the government.
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NO LC (LETTER OF CREDIT) NEEDED!!!
A new article 11.1.9 has been added to the guidelines. It states that whatever is written elsewhere in this guideline, for vehicles whose parts are imported into Nepal from abroad, assembled in Nepal, or produced in Nepal, these vehicles’ registration, transfer, auction, re-registration, ownership transfer, etc. won’t require a customs declaration letter. Likewise, the Made in Nepal vehicles’ registration won’t require an LC.
Instead, the assembly or manufacturing company shall file a value-added tax declaration instead of a customs declaration, and in the case of vehicles attracting provisions related to internal duties according to the prevailing law. It has been mentioned that the internal duty withdrawal form should also be submitted.
After the Yatri bikes registration issue surfaced, PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, through the chief secretary, had asked for the necessary arrangements to have the Nepali vehicle registration process easier.
The existing Transport and Vehicles Act 2049 and the Transport and Vehicles Act of Bagmati Province wouldn’t allow Nepal-made vehicle registration.
Electric vehicles are growing popular in Nepal and the new law would encourage more startups to cash in on the evolving but most importantly, Yatri will be relieved as their EVs will have it easy for their registration effectively solving their recent problem.
How have you viewed the entire saga in recent weeks? Do Nepali startups have to go through such a hassle while promoting domestic tech and innovation and productivity? Don’t forget to share our insight in the comments box below.
