Mustang. The Mustang Customs Office at Nhechung of North Korea border has collected Rs 2.24 billion in revenue from Nepal. The revenue was collected till Monday at the Korala checkpoint which came into full operation from September 31.

The Mustang Customs Office has become active with the opening of import ÷and export at the Korala transit which was opened only for the residents of Upper Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodar Kunda rural municipalities since November 11, 2080.

The business activity has increased here with the Department managing human resources by eliminating the technical complexities for the operation of Korlan÷a.

Ramesh Khadka, chief of the customs office, said that revenue of Rs ÷2.02 billion was collected from import and export from Korala border point before Dashain. The customs office was closed for more than a week due to the Dashain holiday while the goods carriers and electric cars entering Nepal from China were being screened. The service of Mustang Customs Office has come into operation after Dashain.

So far, 387 goods imported from China have cleared the customs clearance, Khadka said. Similarly, 1,194 electric cars imported from China have already cleared customs duty.

According to him, five cargo trucks carrying local products and handicraft goods were exported to China after passing the customs clearance.

A total of 229 electric cars and 12 goods carriers have been cleared at the Mustang Customs Office after Dashain. It seems difficult to operate throughout the year on the services provided by the Mustang Customs Office and import÷export through Korala border point.

Situated at an altitude of 4,610 metres above sea level, it is equally challenging to operate the services of the customs office including import÷export from the Nepal-China North Korala border point due to cold from November to mid-March.

It is difficult to work throughout the year at the border point as the vehicles transporting goods and electric cars imported from China cannot ply due to cold and the drivers and helpers of the transport vehicles and customs employees have to stay in unfavorable condition due to adverse weather.

The operation of the border points seems to be difficult due to extreme cold and snowfall, freezing of water sources and the tradition of people going to the valley to escape the cold.

Mayor Khadka said that it has been challenging to operate the Koralana river in winter due to lack of environment-friendly infrastructure on the Nepali side and lack of physical infrastructure at the Nhechung customs office.