BIRGUNJ: Revenue collection at several customs offices, including the Birgunj Customs Office, has been affected due to importers and exporters failing to clear goods in compliance with new requirements.
Importers and exporters have not participated in the goods clearance process for the past two days following the customs office’s announcement to implement the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) system for imported and exportable goods.
As a result, clearance activities at the Birgunj customs point have been disrupted, with traders not submitting required declaration forms for consignments.
Chief of the Birgunj Customs Office, Krishna Prasad Mainali, said that clearance work has been halted due to the non-submission of mandatory documentation by traders.
The government had recently decided to enforce MRP labeling at customs points for all categories of goods. However, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, and industrial raw materials have been exempted from this requirement. Despite this, the office still collected Rs 310 million in revenue from these exempted goods.
Normally, the Birgunj Customs Office collects between Rs 500 million and Rs 600 million daily, but the current disruption has significantly reduced revenue collection.
Chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hari Prasad Gautam, said traders have halted participation in the clearance process, arguing that the MRP implementation at customs points is impractical.
Comment