Birgunj. Birgunj: Two customs offices in Birgunj have failed to collect the target despite reducing the annual target in the last fiscal year as compared to the previous fiscal year 2080/81.

It has become difficult to find revenue as per the target as the people of Parsa, including the 107-kilometer open border in Parsa and the bordering Birgunj Metropolitan City, buy essential goods from the border Indian market.

The Department of Customs had set a target of collecting Rs 218.95 billion revenue to birgunj customs office in the last fiscal year. However, the office collected 80.35 percent of the target i.e. Rs 175.93 billion in revenue during the period. The department had also reduced the annual revenue collection target by Rs 26.93 billion in the last fiscal year as compared to the previous fiscal year.

In the previous fiscal year 2080/81 BS, the government had set a revenue target of Rs 245.88 billion. It had collected only Rs 157.40 billion in revenue.

Deepak Lamichhane, chief customs administrator at Birgunj Customs Office, said the smuggling and export was challenging due to the open border. “The open border is challenging due to the easy movement of people of both the countries in the border areas and the relationship between roti-beti,” he said.

The Department had set a revenue target of Rs 60.04 billion for the Dry Port Customs Office in the last fiscal year. However, the office collected Rs 49.82 billion in the last fiscal year. In the previous fiscal year, the Department had set a revenue target of Rs 65.94 billion for the dry port, while it collected Rs 47.31 billion during the same period.

Chief Customs Administrator Lamichhane said that although the Customs Department had reduced the annual customs collection target in the last fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year, the customs revenue collection has increased by about 12 percent in the last fiscal year. “Overall, the revenue collection has not been achieved as per the target due to the problems seen in the economy, but the increase in revenue in the last fiscal year is due to the increase in economic activity as compared to the previous fiscal year,” he said.

Chief Customs Administrator Lamichhane claimed that the people of the border areas may have brought normal households and daily necessities rather than commercial terms. The data of customs evasion and unbalanced goods recovered by the Armed Police Force Nepal and police from the border or urban areas further confirms the illegal smuggling and export in the district.

Despite the lack of effective functioning of the open border with India, local administration, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Customs administration, illegal smuggling and smuggling in the border areas has not been controlled relatively.

President of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hari Gautam, said that illegal trade is more prevalent in the border areas than legal transactions. “No matter how much the state agencies claim that the country’s economy has returned to normal, it has not yet returned to normal. Due to which the revenue has not been able to increase relatively,” he said, adding, “The revenue could not be collected accordingly due to lack of activities that boost the morale of the industrialists.” ’

Birgunj Customs Office collected the highest revenue of Rs 80.92 billion from import of petroleum products and Rs 19.82 billion from transport vehicles and their parts in the last fiscal year.

Chairman Gautam said that due to the wrong customs policy adopted by the state, there is a tendency to import goods and goods in the border areas in an informal manner rather than formally.

Goods worth billions seized in Parsa by both security agencies

According to both security agencies in Parsa, customs evasion and uninvoked goods worth Rs 1 billion have been seized in a year. The District Police Office (DPO) has handed over 91 goods worth Rs 520 million to the Revenue Investigation Office at Pathlaiya. Similarly, in the last fiscal year, Parsa Police has deposited goods worth Rs 78.94 million at birgunj customs office.

Parsa Police have been recovering goods vehicles carrying more goods than bills, vehicle parts, hardware, electrics, clothes, dry fruits and other items. Sources claimed that buffaloes, chicken chicks, various types of gutkha, dryfoot and other items and goods are being smuggled from India in rural areas of Parsa.

“Even in urban areas, clothes and mortusparts are being illegally entered through carriage. In rural areas, smuggling activities have become common by taking advantage of the open border, but this is also confirmed by the goods raided by the security agencies in the warehouse,” the source said.

Parsa Police Chief Gautam Mishra claimed that efforts were being made to control illegal smuggling and export from the border areas. “Despite having an open border, we are making efforts to prevent maximum smuggling,” he said.

Birgunj-based Armed Police Force(APF) proposed Border Security Unit and Birgunj Customs Office have been jointly raiding warehouses operating illegally in urban areas of Birgunj and on an average, they have been recovering illegal clothes and vehicle parts worth rs 700,000 to Rs 1.5 million twice a week. On the other hand, other units of the Armed Police Force in the district have been recovering goods of the same quantity. The Armed Police Force Nepal No. 13 Battalion Headquarters Parsa has seized goods worth Rs 409.197 million in the fiscal year 2081÷82 BS. The Armed Police Force (APF) had handed over goods worth Rs 289.25 million to the Customs Office in the last fiscal year.

Similarly, in the last fiscal year, unpaid goods worth Rs 119.94 million were handed over to the Revenue Investigation Office at Pathlaiya. Deputy Superintendent of Armed Police Purushottam Bhandari of Birgunj-based Armed Police Force Nepal Proposed Border Security Unit said that based on specific information, the Customs Office and Armed Police Force have been recovering various types of goods from the warehouse.