KATHMANDU: Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) has entered into an agreement with Trans Nepal JV, Biratnagar, allowing the latter to operate Tatopani Dry Port for the next five years.
The Tatopani dry port was built with the financial and technical support of the Chinese government in Larcha of Sindhupalchowk district.
The Chinese side had formally handed over the dry port to NITDB on June 28, 2019.
The NITDB informed Trans Nepal JV, Biratnagar, would operate and manage the dry port for five years.
According to a NITDB statement, a contract agreement was signed between Trans Nepal JV and NITDB a few days ago on September 14. As per the contract, the private sector company would pay Rs 110.7 million to NITDB for five years.
NITDB exuded confidence that the operation and management of the dry port by the private sector would make trade through the port agile, fast and economical.
After the dry port was handed over to NITDB by China, the authority itself operated and managed the port for some time. After that Nepal Transport and Warehousing Company Limited had been running the port since January 1, 2021.
NITDB had issued a global tender on May 25, 2022, to select a terminal management company for the operation and management of the dry port from the private sector.
Accordingly, three companies, namely Freight Logistics, Lalitpur, Valley Terminals JV, Kathmandu, and Trans Nepal JV, Biratnagar, had bid for the same.
NITDB informed that TransNepal JV Biratnagar, which received the most points from the evaluation of technical and financial proposals, was chosen among the three companies.
TransNepal JV Biratnagar is a joint venture between TransNepal Freight Services and Silk Transport.