‘Indian customs obstructing agro-products’ exports’

January 13, 2004
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The Indian customs points have been obstructing exports of Nepalese agro-products to India, giving rise to needless debates and charges as high as Rs.5,000 as “additional fee” for a cargo truck, Kantipur daily said Tuesday.

According to Dr. Shanta Kumar Sharma, vice president of Bhairahawa Customs Agents’ Association, the Indian officers show “procedural” defects in exports documents, which, he says, is baseless.

“The Indian officials say that we import from third countries and export the same commodities to India, which is baseless,” he said. “Due to such behaviour, exports of pulses, such as lentils, have totally stopped for the last seven days.”

Due to procedural complexities, long queues of Nepali trucks can be seen in Bhairahawa, the daily said. “They stop our trucks for two-four days blindly saying that our certificates of origin and other documents are fake,” Dr. Sharma said.

According to agents and exporters, they have to pay a “big” additional sum to Indian staff to release their trucks from the customs point towards India, the daily said.

“We have found that the Indian customs officers are not cooperating with Nepali exporters,” the daily quoted an Indian transport entrepreneur, as saying.

“Whatever goods Nepalis try to export, the Indian officers treat them like they are exporting marijuana or opium,” he said.
nepalnews.com mr Jan 13