ARJUN LAMA COACH OF HIMALAYAN SHERPA CLUB Kathmandu, 5 Aug.: Arjun Lama has been appointed coach if Yeti Himalayan Sherpa Club for two months. He replaces Nawal Gurung who left forUSA two months ago. Nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE "We are holding discussion with the Nepali Congress in regard to our relations with the UCPN-Maoist. Our ties with the latter may break up." (UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, RSS report in The Himalayan Times) “The president is analyzing the constitution instead of looking for a new alternative by removing the current government.” (NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel, Republica, 5 Aug.) nnnn FLOODS CLAIM 8 LIVES IN FAR-WEST Kathmandu, 5 Aug.:: A total of eight persons have lost their lives due to rain-triggered floods and landslides in the far-west since Thursday, with two lives claimed each in Kailali, Dar-chula and Bajura, and one each in Kanchanpur and Bajhang, Shivaraj Bhatta writes in The Himalayan Times from Dhangadhi.. In Kailali, five-year-old Indra Saud of Chaumala VDC-2, Jhil died after she was swept away by the flooded water channel nearby her house on Friday night, while the same night 32-year-old Lalita Joshi of Chuha-9, Gulareni also died after being swept away by a local river. Similarly, a ten-year-old boy Pawan BK was injured after a house collapsed owing to the incessant rainfall in Tikapur-9, Ekatanagar on Saturday. He is now undergoing treatment at the Tikapur Hospital. Heavy rainfall has also inundated hundreds of houses in Tikapur municipality and Dhansinghpur and Narayanpur VDCs. According to the police, about 150 houses are inundated in Narayanpur VDC alone, in Bandarpur and Milanpur. The local natural disaster rescue committee has shifted the flood victims to safer places. In Darchula, Saraswoti Lothyal of Gurusad has gone missing after a bridge she was going trough in Ghusa VDC-1, Golgada suddenly gave in today. Earlier, Damanti Dhami (10) of Sitola VDC-8, Rampang also lost her life owing to landslide on Thursday night. In Bajura, on the other hand, Parabal Saud (47) of Bandhu-1 died after he was swept away by a local Baddikhla in Kolti VDC. Police have found Parabal’s dead body today. Balchandra Saud (60) who had been swept away by the same river is, however, yet to be found. In Kanchanpur, Puran Damai (36) of Jhalari died after he was swept away by the local Sunawara River this morning. Police found his dead body about 100 metres downstream. On the other hand, the flooded Mahakali River has put at risk the whole human settlement at Bhujela in Bhimadatta Municipality-11. According to the Area Police Office, places like Badai-pur, Piparaiya, Odali are also prone to inundation from the floods of the river. With the water flow in the Mahakali River reaching the mark at 219,000 cusec, authorities have banned the operation of heavy vehicles on the Banabasa Bridge. Nnnn AUDITORS ALSO INVOLVED IN TAX EVASION SAYS IRD Kathmandu , 5 Aug.: Officials at Inland Revenue Department today revealed that some auditors have been involved in providing suggestions and methods to evade tax compliances against the legal provisions, The Himalayan Times reports. Speaking at a programme organised by Nepal Auditors Association, deputy director general at Inland Revenue Department (IRD) Madhu Kumar Marasini said that some firms and businessmen have claimed that auditors are responsible for providing them with suggestions and methods of tax evasion and avoidance during informal meetings. He also said that some auditors have been carrying out multiple tasks which is unethical. “It has been found that the same auditor is involved as a broker, advisor, accountant and auditor of the same firm.” General secretary of the association Umesh Prasad Dhakal also said that there are some non-professional activities taking place in the sector. “The ideal role of the auditors and their practices in Nepal are not matching,” he said, adding that auditors are found to be responsible for preparing accounts, conducting audits and also providing financial advice simultaneously. Multiple responsibilities by the same person creates problems and unethical practices, according to him. There is a trend whereby taxpayers do not go to the tax office for self defence but auditors do, according to general secretary Dhakal. In the programme, finance secretary Krishna Hari Baskota urged all auditors to perform their duties in an accountable manner. “Auditors are equally responsible for controlling revenue leakages since the country has provided the right of self declaration of tax to firms and business outlets,” he said. He also asked the auditors not to act as accomplices and agents of particular firms to help them evade and avoid tax compliances, secretary Baskota added. “Auditors should also speak out against corrupt officials at the tax administration if they ask for a bribe.” Auditors are neither accountants for adjusting balance sheets nor advisors nor an accomplice to act in favour of those firms who want to hurt the government coffers by evading tax compliances, he said, urging all auditors to stop the malpractices prevalent in the country at the moment. He also suspected the motives of auditors who were involved in the auditing of 518 firms –– firms who were involved in evading Value Added Tax (VAT) by producing fake bills. “The government has decided to fine even the accomplices involved in the Value Added Tax scam,” Baskota said, adding that the government’s intention of making accomplices too responsible was to make auditors more professional. Secretary Baskota also blamed the auditors for their double standards. “Auditors prepare a different balance sheet when firms want to borrow money from financial institutions but the same auditors prepare a completely different balance sheet to escape tax compliance when it comes to paying taxes,” he claimed. nnnns