Kathmandu, May 31: Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) has welcomed the government decision to introduce various policies to promote electric vehicles and replace vehicles run on fossil fuels.

The government has decided to form a working group to formulate plans and implement them to replace vehicles run on fossil fuels with electric vehicles by 2031.

NEFEJ welcomes this decision to promote the use of electric vehicles, it stated in a press release, adding, however, that the implementation of the decision is challenging. It asked the government to hold extensive discussions with concerned stakeholders to effectively implement the policy.

NEFEJ believed that the government decision to remove the excise duty and reduce the customs tax on the import of electric vehicles is a welcome step.

NEFEJ also welcomed the government decision to impose a ban on the production, import, sale and use of plastic bags thinner than 40 microns. The government also announced the decision in its budget speech for the fiscal year 2021/22.

It called upon the government to take stringent measures to implement this ban.