Nechung Custom Office finally starts

POKHARA, July 2: Nechung Customs Office of Mustang has started revenue collection after 40 years of establishment.

Krishna Raj Dhakal, chief of Border Administration Office, Lo Manthang, said the office, which was established in 1975, has for the first time collected Rs 100,000 as revenue. The customs office based in Choser VDC hadn't collected even a penny in the past four decades as government employees do not stay at the office, citing difficult climatic conditions.

According to officials, locals and businessmen of Mustang paid customs duty for goods that they bought at a trans-border festival held recently in Damakola of Tibet.
"This is the first time in 40 years that we have been able to collect revenue. This became possible after we deployed staffers at the office," Dhakal said.

Home appliances and readymade garments topped the list of goods bought by the locals.

According to Dhakal, locals of Mustang have been buying readymade garments and home appliances, among others, from Tibet for the past many years. "But they never paid duty as there was no staff in the customs office," he added. Dhakal said it is impossible for staffers to stay at the office round the year due to cold weather and high altitude.

Santosh Sherchan, chief of Lo Manthang Office of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), said the government had been losing revenue due to lack of staff at the customs office. "Even though Nepal has start collecting revenue, Tibet has not started collecting revenue from items exported from Nepal," he added.

Nepal mostly exports wool, Pashmina products, Yarsagumba and mountain goat hides to Tibet.

Source: myRepublica