Importers will now have to pay exorbitant detention charge to shipping companies as the 14-day grace period has already completed. As per the existing rule, importers have to pay detention charge every day if containers of shipping companies are not returned within the grace period. [break]According to traders, shipping companies slap detention charge of up to US$ 50 per day per container.
“Excessive detention charge will raise import costs and ultimately make imported goods dearer,” an importer told Republica. Ha also said price of imported food commodities have already increased in the Nepali market.
More than 1,500 containers are waiting at the Kolkata port for customs clearance. According to traders, customs clearance works at the Kolkata port have been affected after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India raided customs office at the port and arrested four staff.
They said customs officials have slowed down the customs clearance process, citing manpower shortage. Only about 10-15 containers are getting clearance from the customs in a day, compared to 100 containers on normal days.
“The process of getting clearance of customs has slowed. Hundreds of Nepal-bound containers are lying stranded at the customs yard,” a customs clearing agent said.
As of Wednesday, more than 780 containers have submitted their customs declaration documents at the customs.
Pradeep Kedia, senior vice-president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said each stranded container had paid more than Rs 40,000 as detention charge for three days till Wednesday.
“Six containers carrying my goods imported from Singapore are lying stranded in Kolkata port for the past 20 days,” added Kedia.
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