NEPALGUNJ, FEBRUARY 1

Despite closure of the Nepal-India border points for a long time due to COVID-19, Nepalgunj Customs Office has exceeded revenue collection target.

The customs office had set a target of collecting up to Rs seven billion in the last six months of the current fiscal. The office, however, has collected revenue of Rs 9.5 billion in the same period.

Nepalgunj Customs Office Chief Jay Bahadur Bhandari said revenue collection had increased significantly. Last year, the office had collected revenue up to 76 per cent. 'The border closure was expected to affect revenue collection, but we have exceeded our target,' said Bhandari. He said revenue collection was not affected as the import of essentials, including petroleum products and industrial raw materials, was uninterrupted.

It is learnt that revenue collection increased because the government increased patrolling on the rural and alternative routes to stop the illegal import of goods.

Bhandari said that his office had tightened security checks at the entry points. Nepalgunj Customs Office has set a target of collecting Rs 15 billion this fiscal.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 2, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.