Kathmandu, July 22 -- Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Tuesday announced that the government would not enforce the newly introduced three percent "equity fees" on private education and health services, responding to mounting public criticism just days after the levies came into effect.

The announcement, made through the prime minister's social media accounts, marked a sharp reversal of one of the government's most criticised fiscal measures. But it also raised immediate legal and procedural questions, as the fees were introduced through the Finance Act passed by both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

Legal experts say a social media announcement alone cannot overturn a law. Any amendment to taxes enacted through the...