Biratnagar, 7 Dec: To reduce Nepal’s trade deficit with India by increasing the export of domestic goods, the government’s policy and the efforts of Nepali traders have been hindered by a new rule introduced by Indian customs. Nepali exporters have been affected by the ‘token system’ and the abnormal increase in parking fees imposed by the Indian side while exporting goods to India through the Biratnagar–Jogbani border point.
The time limit and penalty provisions implemented by the Jogbani Customs Office of India for checking cargo vehicles have placed an ‘extra burden’ on Nepali traders. According to the new rule, a vehicle must enter the Indian customs within 24 hours of receiving an export token. The problem has worsened as businesses are now required to pay a mandatory fine of five thousand rupees if a cargo vehicle enters the customs point after 4 PM.
According to Nepali exporters, there are often technical delays while loading plywood, jute, or other industrial raw materials and completing customs procedures. “You take the token in the morning intending to export the goods the same day, but the process may take until 4 PM. The moment the deadline passes, paying a five-thousand-rupee penalty is completely impractical,” said Bharat Prasai, Executive Chief of the Morang Chamber of Industries and Commerce. Traders complain that if the vehicle doesn’t enter before 4 PM, the token becomes practically invalid, and they must pay the fine the next day to continue the process—discouraging exporters.
The impact is already visible in export statistics. Due to procedural hassles and fear of penalties, traders have started reducing their exports. According to the Morang Chamber, revenue collected from issuing Certificates of Origin—which used to be 40,000 to 50,000 rupees daily—has now dropped to around 20,000 rupees. They worry this could shrink Nepal’s export volume even further.
Beyond the token problem, a steep increase in parking fees at the Indian customs yard has raised the production cost of Nepali goods. The Indian side has recently raised the hourly parking charge unilaterally from 300 Indian rupees to 500 Indian rupees (about 800 Nepali rupees). Meanwhile, on the Nepali side, Trans Nepal charges only 300 Nepali rupees per hour. Expressing concern over the issue, Anupam Rathi, President of the Morang Chamber, said, “On one hand, the 4 PM deadline has created mental stress, and on the other hand, the steep hike in parking fees has increased our production cost. Sometimes vehicles are parked for two days, and the parking charges alone become a heavy financial burden. We have written to Indian customs and concerned authorities to draw their attention to this matter.”
Chief Customs Officer of the Biratnagar Customs Office, Umesh Shrestha, acknowledged that, although the Indian side imposed the fine through an official notification making their process legally valid, the rules have nonetheless created practical difficulties for Nepali businesses. “The 24-hour token rule and penalties have certainly affected exports. Having to pay parking fees on both sides and facing the fear of penalties has increased financial pressure on exporters,” he said.
Traders, however, have urged the Nepali government to immediately pursue diplomatic efforts to remove the impractical time restrictions and adjust the increased parking fees.
