The delay is compounded by India's unofficial blockade on the Nepal-India border and the agitations launched by the United Democratic Madhesi Front in the Tarai.As a result, more than 3,000 vehicles carrying goods have been stuck in various places on the border.
An industrialist of Birgunj, Bijaya Sarawogi, also executive member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that Nepali businesspersons are made to pay to Indian shipping company as demurrage charge for the delay.
He added that more than 3000 containers carrying goods have been stuck at Sirsiya Dry Port and the places in the Indian territory due to the agitations.
Sarawogi added that the company normally gives 14-day additional time to supply goods to their respective destinations. But, he said, the protest has caused the delay.
Meanwhile, according to an estimate, 113,000 metric tonnes goods worth around Rs 12 billion have been stuck at Sirsiya Dry Port in Birgunj in Nepal due to the blockade.
The stuck goods include grocery items, fertilizers, industrial raw materials and electric items.
Hari Prasad Poudel, officiating chief of the Sirsiya Dry Port Customs Office, said that the government has incurred loss of more than Rs 2.5 billion in revenue as the office has yet to operate smoothly due to the blockade and protest for the past two and a half months.
He said against the target for the custom office to collect around Rs 1.53 billion in the Nepali month of Bhadra (August 18 - September 17) in revenue, the office, however, managed to collect only around Rs 791 million.
"The Customs Office has collected Rs 94,425,000 in revenue in Ashoj (September 18 - October 17) as against the Department's target of collecting around Rs 1.34 billion," he said.
Similarly, the Customs Office could only garner Rs 2.7 million as revenue as of October 27 as against the Department's target of Rs 1.43 billion.
Although the Dry Port has been receiving goods dispatched from Kolkata Port on a regular basis, the received goods are yet to make it to their respective destinations due to the agitation.
As a result, the Dry Port is running short of adequate space to accommodate the daily cargo.
"Many goods are stored under the open sky in lack of space, thus risking the goods to damage," shared Poudel. RSS
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