Nepal has eight major customs points at different places on the southern border with India, and an equal number of customs points in the north along Nepal-China border.However, the failure to develop road networks to the customs points through the northern hills has left Nepal completely dependent on India. Enabling a monopoly seller or a monopoly buyer is a policy blunder that Nepal has been repeatedly committing after 1990, according to customs officials.
The Indian blockade along the southern customs points since the last one week has not only created shortages of essential goods and fuel but also bled the economy white, said Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat. The customs revenue has plunged to almost 5 percent from the usual mobilization, he said, adding that the prolonged blockade is certain to create humanitarian crisis.
Of the total Rs 475 billion revenue target for the current fiscal year 2015-16, the customs revenue target had been set at Rs 205.86 billion, according Shishir Dhungana, director general of the Customs Department.
However, the unrest in Tarai-Madhes since the last one-and-a-half month and blockade by India since the last week would make meeting the customs revenue target difficult.
Apart from Tatopani, which was the only customs point for trade between Nepal and China for long, and Rasuwagadi, a recently opened customs point, other customs points are not easily accessible. According to the customs officials, the government has not made any efforts to build roads to these customs points.
"Mechung customs of Mustang has road connection and the Yari customs in Humla is also accessible, but the government needs to upgrade the road network," the official said.
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