Closure of Rasuwagadhi customs causing huge revenue losses

DHUNCHE, Aug 8:

The government is losing millions of rupees in revenue every month as the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office has remained closed since the April-25 earthquake.

The customs office along Nepal-China border was opened in December last year to increase trade between the two countries.

Traders have asked the government to open the customs office as soon as possible, stating that closure of the customs office was inflicting huge loss on them.

"Eight to 10 containers would enter the country from China via Rasuwagadhi every day. We are losing revenue worth millions of rupees every month," Phanindra Aryal, section officer at the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office, said. "No one is taking any initiative to resume operations of the customs office."

According to Aryal, the customs office has been closed after China stopped transport of goods to Nepal following the earthquake. "The government should initiate talks with Chinese officials to resume operation of the customs office at the earliest," he added.

Though transportation resumed on the road linking the customs office to Dhunche, the district headquarters of Rasuwa, one month after the earthquake, China hasn't bothered to open its office.

"Chinese officials have not told us when they intend to resume operation at customs office. However, they have unofficially told traders that they were looking to open all the customs offices at a time," said Aryal.

Man Bahadur Tamang, president of China Keirung Trade Association, said goods worth around Rs 100 million have stuck at the Keirung Customs Office on the other side of the border. "We have already raised the issue before the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Commerce and Supplies as well as the officials of Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. But nothing has been done to resume operations of the customs office so far," said Tamang. "We can also bring goods stuck at Tatopani customs through Rasuwagadhi once the customs office opens for business."

The landslide triggered by the quake damaged goods worth Rs 80 million of 20 traders. "Though we have asked concerned authority for compensation and arrangement of concessional loans for us, our request seems to have fallen on deaf ears," Mukunda Paudel, a trader, said.

Three containers, which were trapped in the debris following the landslide triggered by the quake, have yet to be recovered. Eleven people on board these containers are still missing.

As the building of customs office in Rasuwagadhi has been destroyed by the landslide, the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office has set up its office at a rented building in Timure.

Nepali traders export products like biscuits, noodles, flour and chillies to Keirung via Rasuwagadhi, and import goods like blankets, watches, chocolates, slippers, shoes, apples and clothing, from China.

Source: Republica