200 containers stranded at Tatopani Customs

CHAURATA, MAR 04 -

Tatopani Customs Office has remained closed for the last three days after traders disputed newly hiked customs valuation rate by the Department of Customs, resulting in more than 200 Nepal-bound containers being stranded. The government collects Rs 20 million daily in customs from the point.

Currently, traders are importing garments, shoes and furniture at a larger scale. Import-export activities have come to a complete halt after the traders denied to abide by the government’s decision to increase the valuation of goods by five percent instantly instead of levying duty based on customs book.

The Department of Customs reviews the valuation rate every year based on the prices of goods being imported at local and international market to check on the undervaluation of goods.

The traders have announced closure of the customs office by forming a struggle committee, while the customs office said that it could not accept the traders’ proposal.

Shiva Kumar Raut, vice president of Sindhupalchowk Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the traders have been demanding that customs valuation should be based on the market price and valuation rate maintained in the past.

“We are ready to pay the increased 5 percent evaluation charge so long as the valuation rate is fixed based on quality of goods and the market price,” he said. The traders maintain that the value of certain goods can be different based on their quality.

With the customs office imposing the new valuation rate, the traders have started making valuation of the goods based on the earlier provision. Chief of the Tatopani Customs Mimansha Adhikary ruled out any possibility of making customs valuation going against the customs book. But he said that his office was ready to entertain proposal of the traders.

Raut said that talks with traders were going on positively and expected they would reach a settlement on Monday.

Source: The Kathmandu Post