The Rasuwagadhi border crossing has been closed since June 24. Goods coming from there are also currently entering through the Korala border crossing.
In the one and a half months since the Korla border crossing in Mustang became operational, 1,538 electric vehicles have entered. Clothes, shoes and slippers are also entering through this border crossing.
The Rasuwagadhi border crossing has been closed since 24 Asad. Goods coming from there are also now entering through the Korala border crossing. The Tatopani border crossing in Sindhupalchowk was also closed for a long time due to a landslide in the Kodari section of the Araniko Highway. The border crossing was operational after the landslide was cleared on 28 Asod. Since this border crossing was also closed for a long time, Dashain goods were brought into Nepal through the Korala border crossing. Since the Korala border crossing came into operation, a revenue of 2.78 billion 12 million rupees has been collected from it.
The Korala border crossing has been operational since 21 Bhadra. Chinese containers bring goods to Liji, China. After that, containers from Nepal load the goods from there and bring them to Korala in Mustang. Electric vehicles have been imported more through this border crossing for the festival. After Dashain, 158 containers went to China to pick up goods, some of which have arrived and some are still in the process of being loaded, said Ramesh Khadka, a customs officer at the Mustang Customs Office.
‘The problem is due to the cold,’ Khadka said, ‘There is a problem with the containers that have gone to pick up goods not starting. They sometimes stop midway.’ He said that many electric vehicles are coming through this checkpoint. There is no problem with driving electric vehicles. ‘The problem with bringing goods from containers is due to the high altitude,’ he said, ‘There is no problem with the road, when it rained a while ago and there were problems everywhere, nothing happened here, goods kept coming in unhindered.’ Khadka said that there is no problem going from Mustang to Pokhara.
Only Mustang drivers are allowed to go to China to pick up goods. Khadka said that China’s Liji is 500 meters away from the Korala checkpoint. The customs office is in Nechung, which is at an altitude of 3,900 meters. Korala border crossing is 14 kilometers from Nechung, which is at an altitude of 4,06 meters. “There is no problem in importing goods as there are no road problems, but due to the cold, there is a problem when vehicles that have gone to collect goods stop on the road,” Khadka said. “It seems that it will be difficult to operate the border crossing in winter.” There is also a problem with charging stations for electric vehicles. Khadka said that only a limited number of companies have set up charging stations.
Meanwhile, the Tatopani border crossing has been closed due to repeated landslides and has been operational since October 8. Ramesh Sah, customs officer and information officer of the Tatopani Customs Office, Larcha, where goods are currently coming through this border, said. “China has been releasing only 15/20 containers daily,” he said, “which usually contain a lot of fruits.” Electric vehicles are coming in small numbers. In the meantime, the border crossing remained closed due to Dashain.
‘After Dashain, the border was opened from 19 Ashoja,’ Sah said, ‘Now, 2/3 electric vehicles are coming in a day.’ He said that he is in talks with the Chinese side after a businessman complained that there were fewer vehicles from China. 20 empty containers leave Nepal every day and the same number of containers come from there. ‘Now, more walnuts are coming in for Tihar,’ Sah said, ‘After that, electric vehicles, clothes, shoes and slippers are coming.’
He said that Rs 2.75 billion 8.6 billion in revenue had been collected till Tuesday. ‘The target of revenue collection in the current fiscal year is Rs 24.47 billion,’ Sah said, ‘The revenue collection has not been as per the target since the border has been closed for a long time.’
The Rasuwagadhi customs border has been closed for three months. The bailey bridge and road connecting the border have not yet been built. The Rasuwagadhi border crossing has now been closed after the flood in Lhendekhola on July 24 washed away the bridge connecting the border crossing. Before the border crossing can be operational, a bailey bridge must be built in Lhendekhola. The road connecting Rasuwagadhi to Syafrubesi must also be easy.
Tulsi Prasad Bhattarai, Chief Customs Officer of the Rasuwa Customs Office, said that it will be difficult to open the border crossing during Tihar. ‘The bailey bridge has not been built yet,’ he said, ‘It is taking time, the road towards Nepal has not been built either.’ Prepared goods from China used to come to Nepal through this border crossing. About 100 containers used to move around daily.
The Rasuwa Customs Office has set a revenue collection target of Rs 40.16 billion in the current fiscal year. ‘So far, the target was to collect Rs 12 billion in revenue, but it was not possible because the border crossing was not opened,’ he said, ‘Even though the new fiscal year has started, revenue collection is zero.’
