KATHMANDU, Oct 8: The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung trade route that links Nepal and China is expected to open next week and bring some relief to the current state of supply constraints in Nepal due to an 'unofficial' economic blockade imposed by the Indian government.
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A bilateral meeting has been planned between the Nepal and China for Tuesday, according to an official at the Department of Customs (DoC). The major trade routes with China had been hit badly by the April-25 earthquake.
Authorities of both nations have agreed to finalize the date when freight trucks can resume plying along the 22-kilometer cross-border route during the bilateral meeting scheduled to be held in Kerung on October 13, the official -- who asked not to be named -- told Republica.The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung road is Nepal's second largest trading route with China after Tatopani-Khasa.
The DoC official said efforts were underway to open the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route at the earliest. The official said that resuming operations on the route would bring in supplies from China and ease shortages in Nepal by a large extent.
According to the official, representatives from the immigration department, the district administration office and customs department will be present at the meeting with their Chinese counterparts on Tuesday. "The bilateral talks will announce the opening of the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung trade route," added the official.
TATOPANI DELAY
The source also confirmed that it may be some time before the Tatopani route fully resumes operations. Making the road networks to the customs point through the northern hills on the China side to Nepal fully safe and dependable has proved troublesome.
Though India's economic blockade on Nepal has crossed 10 days, Nepal has not been able to take the next available option for bringing in goods and petroleum products. This has resulted in an acute shortage of petroleum products in the country.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) -- the sole supplier of petroleum products to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) -- has been refusing to send fuel across the border citing insecurity, despite a commercial agreement between the two state entities.
As NOC has not been able to import fuel, the state oil monopoly has been rationing petroleum products to manage supply across the country.
NOC has been hoping to start bringing in fuel from China if and when the trade routes with the northern neighbor open up. NOC's import plans are still very premature as the nearest Chinese refinery has yet to be identified and the price of fuel also yet to be calculated, the official added.
