Kathmandu, Aug 25 - Taking a cue from India, Nepal's new government has begun a campaign to up tax collections by making it mandatory for individual earners and institutions to have a permanent account number (PAN).

Nepal's first president Ram Baran Yadav Monday became the first head of state to have a PAN, followed by Vice President Paramananda Jha and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

The finance ministry allocated Yadav PAN 100000001 while in Jha's case, it is 100000002. The prime minister got PAN 100000003.

According to the regulation laid down by Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, all citizens with an yearly income of NRS 160,000 or above and couples with an annual income of NRS 200,000 or more have to get a PAN.

House owners letting out to government agencies and other organisations as well as car owners renting out their vehicles would also need to have a PAN.