Export-import via Tatopani grinds to a halt

KATHMANDU, AUG 04 - Export-import through the Tatopani customs point has come to a complete halt after a section of the Araniko Highway was damaged by a landslide.

The massive landslide in Jure, Sindhupalchowk, on Saturday damaged about a kilometre of the road, while another one kilometre has been inundated by

the Sunkoshi River which has been blocked by the debris of the landslide.

“I have been told export-import through the Tatopani customs has come to halt due to the devastation,” said Tatopani Customs Chief Mimanshu Adhikari, who is currently in Kathmandu . “Security personnel have not allowed me visit the place for possible danger,” he said.

The landslide, which occurred at around 3:00 am on Saturday, buried and swept around 180 households.

The damage to the road is expected to affect trading with China, besides hurting the government’s revenue collection. On an average, the Tatopani Customs Office collects Rs 10 million in revenue every day.

According to Adhikari, the customs office collected Rs 15-20 million a day during July on an average. “As Dashain is arriving, we have targeted to collect Rs 680 million in August,” said Adhikari.

Around 40-60 trucks move across the border every day for export-import, and 90 percent of them bring in imported goods, according to the Department of Customs (DoC). According to official statistics, around 80 percent of the imports through land route, especially of readymade garment and footwear products, come through Tatopani customs. In fiscal year 2012-13, Nepal imported goods worth Rs 68.30 billion from China.

DoC Director General Surya Prasad Acharya said he was not informed about whether Nepal- or China-bound trucks were stranded on the road. “If the highway is opened within a few days, it will not make a big difference,” he said. “But if the road remains closed for a longer period, it will obviously affect trade and revenue.”

Tatopani customs contributed 3.21 percent to the customs revenue in the last fiscal year, which is the sixth largest contribution from among customs offices.

Source: The Kathmandu Post