Security agencies, industrialists, and locals are concerned that the influx of trucks of consumer goods across the border has led to revenue leakage and increased health risks.
What you should know
There has been continuous criticism from the border districts of Lumbini Province for not controlling smuggling. From district to central level programs, people from responsible state bodies have criticized the government for leaking revenue due to smuggling.
In the border districts, it has become a 'culture' to visit various markets in neighboring India and purchase consumer goods. In addition, there has been criticism after goods started entering in large quantities by evading customs. At a Lumbini state-level security meeting held in Bhairahawa two weeks ago, Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya expressed his anger over the failure to stop smuggling. 'Trucks upon trucks of goods are entering from the border area,' he said, 'Smuggling control is necessary, for that the morale of security personnel should be increased.' He said that one should not remain a mute spectator when goods are forcibly brought from the border area and that the security chief should be serious about this.
In a discussion organized by the Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry last Tuesday, Harihar Poudel, head of the Bhairahawa Customs Office, expressed concern over the widespread smuggling of consumer goods. He said that although the revenue collection target this time is Rs 101.3 billion, the contribution of legally imported food and other consumer goods will be only 5 percent of it. ‘Trucks of such materials imported from India and other countries are reaching the hilly districts of Lumbini and Gandaki Province via Rupandehi,’ he said. ‘Looking at that, how can we say that smuggling is not happening?’
He said that even if the general public sees the practicality of materials brought from the Indian market in small quantities, state bodies should be strict against imports with the aim of revenue leakage. He said that public awareness programs are necessary for everyone from porters to rickshaw drivers to control smuggling. Tilottama Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Gyanendra Karki said that if the bodies under the Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs work effectively, revenue leakage can be controlled. ‘Only those who work within the policies and rules should be encouraged,’ he said. ‘We see wrongdoings being done by state bodies, but why is it that government bodies are not finding out?’
Thakur Kumar Shrestha, former president of Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that whenever the new chiefs of the district administration, police, customs and revenue investigation arrive, they have been demanding control of smuggling and revenue leakage by holding welcome programs. ‘Smuggling is common in the setting,’ he said, ‘A single person carries goods up to ten times a day, but customs officials and police do not see it.’ He said that since smuggling has developed into a culture in the border district, it cannot be controlled by tightening the main road alone. He said that the problem will persist until all citizens are made aware that revenue should not be evaded.
The issue of smuggling has been raised in recent times at programs organized by industrialists and businessmen in the district. Businessmen participating in such programs say that everything from green vegetables to expensive convenience goods are being imported by evading customs. Due to which, they lament that the district’s business has not been able to flourish. According to the businessmen, goods ordered from the border Indian market are ‘delivered’ to cities including Pokhara and Kathmandu in the country. ‘It is enough to order the necessary electrical goods for the house,’ said a businessman, ‘Indian citizens not only bring them home and install them, but also provide maintenance services later.’
According to an employee working in the agriculture branch of Mayadevi Rural Municipality in Rupandehi, green vegetables are smuggled from the Marchwar area. ‘Not even half of the vegetables and fruits produced in Marchwar are imported,’ he said, ‘more than half are imported from India and sold in the market as Marchwar.’
According to him, the amount of pesticides in the vegetables and fruits imported in this way is not tested. This, he said, affects human health. Chemical fertilizers are smuggled from the border area throughout the year. Fertilizers are imported, stating that there is not enough in Nepal. Locals complain that the administration turns a blind eye even when fertilizers are imported from India, stored in warehouses and sold at high prices.
Concerns have increased after smuggling increased through the main border points of the district. It is found that smuggled goods are sent to various areas in passenger vehicles from the main bus park in Bhairahawa every day. Locals allege that smuggled goods are being sent to warehouses around the bus park by bus. Locals said that those involved in smuggling put clothes, shoes, flowers, hardware and groceries in buses and send them to Kathmandu, Pokhara and other cities. Recently, smuggled goods have been coming in from areas such as Meudihawa, Bagaha, Belahiya, Dhakdhai, Lumbini and others around the bus park. Kul Prasad Neupane, vice-president of the Lumbini Province of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, says that smuggling is increasing under the pretext of purchasing daily necessities.
According to a deputy superintendent of the Armed Police who patrols the border area daily, smugglers use many methods to evade security personnel. Since groups are active in smuggling, they instead monitor security personnel and bring in goods in their free time. When they see security personnel, they hit them on motorcycles and run away. Recently, there have been repeated clashes between the Armed Police and smugglers in Marchwar. As soon as the security personnel who went on patrol seized the goods, the smugglers tried to surround them and attack them. The Armed Police Force says that this is causing problems in working in rural areas.
Nepal Police seizes smuggled goods every day. Businessmen say that the fact that the police seize goods every day confirms that smuggling is widespread. Even if the seizure of goods increases revenue, it will not stop smuggling, so it is necessary to hold public awareness programs in every village, says Netra Prasad Acharya, President of the Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “The wrongdoers should be taken action immediately,” he said, “It is better not to make those who do not do wrong suffer.”
