Trade via the Tatopani transit point resumed from Friday, following an agreement between the government and traders to issue identity cards to everyone involved in cross-border trading.

The business strike at the transit point was withdrawn after the Home Ministry decided to issue identity cards from the Immigration Office at Tatopani to traders and transport workers of other districts with recommendation from the Nepal Himalaya Simapar Byapar Sangh (NHSBS), Nepal Himalaya Simapar Banijya Sangh (NHSBS) and the Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI), a press release issued on Thursday said.

Ten different organisations, including trade associations, SCCI, Truck Containers’ Entrepreneurs Association and Free Transport Workers’ Association, had called for a business closure at the transit point from Tuesday.

They had said traders and transport workers of other districts were affected by the implementation of the ID card system.

The government had earlier announced to issue such cards to residents of 15 districts and had made it mandatory for the rest to acquire visas to enter China’s territory.

The government representatives and traders reached an agreement after a three-day-long closure of both import and export via the transit point.

According to customs sources, a loss of around Rs 200 million was incurred during the business strike.