Kathmandu. A delegation of the Nepal Overseas Export Import Association met Commerce Secretary Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire at his office on Tuesday and drew the attention of the private sector towards the concerns of the private sector.

On the occasion, Jayant Kumar Agrawal, general secretary of the association, said that there has been a delay in transporting imported goods to Nepal in India for the past few months.

He also stressed on controlling the grey market by adjusting customs duty and other tax rates so that there is no wide difference in the price of goods in the Indian and Nepali market as suggested by the High Level Economic Reform Suggestions Commission.

The association has also urged the government to take initiatives for amending the protocol of the Nepal-India Treaty of Commerce to allow the import of machine tools and parts manufactured in third countries from India. The association has complained that it will take a long time to bring the machines manufactured in third countries and repair them as they are not able to bring the spare parts from India if the machine manufactured in the third country is broken.

Although such goods have not been allowed to be brought from India officially, they have been losing revenue due to unauthorized entry through the open border. The association has also demanded the government to immediately resume the cash subsidy for exports. Similarly, the association, which has insisted on amending the onerous provisions of the Agency Act, has pointed out the need for a one-door policy on firm renewals.

The association has also demanded simplification of the process of developing a system that any government agency can obtain the documents online at a time when the documents have already been submitted to the government bodies at one place.

The association, which has called for removing the existing dilemma regarding the maximum retail price, has complained that the provision of the Private Firm Registration Regulation requiring every firm to submit the annual turnover to the Department of Commerce is only increasing the cost of business and adding to the hassle.

The association has also urged the government not to ban the import of essential goods against the principle of open market economy. The association argues that the prohibited goods are imported through the border points and sold freely in the market, which will lead to loss of revenue, stop legal trade and flourish unauthorized trade.

The association has also expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s decision to reduce the transaction limit from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. In response, Secretary Ghimire said that he has formed a committee to study the ban on import of various goods and submit suggestions.