SINDHUPALCHOWK: The Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry has requested the three Chinese government agencies to make arrangements to send the goods after the goods worth billions of rupees were stranded at the land checkpoints of China and Nepal.
The chamber has written a request letter to make arrangements to take the necessary goods to Nepal as the three big festivals of Nepalis are fas-approaching.
Goods of Nepali traders worth billions of rupees are stranded at Tatopani and Rasuwa, two border points with China.
Goods brought by traders for summer have also been stopped.
It is mentioned in the letter that many traders are upset when such goods are stopped.
According to the Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the request was made in a letter to the Chinese stakeholders due to insufficient initiative taken by Government of Nepal.
Tatopani and Rasuwa, are very convenient for the trade trasit. Initially, there was a problem when China closed the border due to Coronavirus. Although corona infection is low in China, it is still a problem in Nepal as it is increasing in Nepal.
Although initially limited cargo vehicles were allowed to enter Nepal, there has not been enough initiative from Nepal, of late.
The only Tatopani checkpoint in the northern part of Nepal was closed after the 2015 earthquake.
After that, trade transit is being operated from Rasuwa point.
However, the trade is closed at both the points now. The checkpoint, which had been closed since 2015 BS, was reopened in June 2019 , but was closed again from February.
Goods brought by Nepali traders have been stopped at Khasa, Nyalam and Sigatche in China.
More than 400 vehicles passing through Khasa have been stopped. This item has been blocked since last December.
For some time, even the Chinese side used to drop the goods in the pool. Goods brought by the trader from a year ago have been stopped.
The traders have complained that the state has not taken much initiative in this regard. Not only traders but also more than a thousand freight vehicles, drivers and co-drivers are stranded, putting their livelihood at risk.
It is estimated that goods worth around Rs 20 billion have been seized. Winter goods are also in trouble. There is a situation where traders cannot pay tax when their invested goods are stopped. In general, goods worth one billion rupees have been withheld from China.
Bed Bahadur Shrestha, chairman of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), said that the initiative was taken as it was necessary to solve the problems of traders.
The goods come from the port route, but it is not possible because the capital of the goods has been stopped for ten months.
It is necessary to bring goods that have been stopped for ten months in Kerung and Tatopani border areas. In Kerung, goods have been stranded since December last year.
Although the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint was opened last May, the Chinese side has closed it twice under various pretexts. The checkpoint has been in operation for only a month now.
Informing about the situation, Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry has written separate letters to China’s Nyalam Customs, China’s Department of Commerce and Zhangmu Administration requesting their help in transporting the goods to Nepal.
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