Kathmandu, November 10

Importers, whose cargoes have been stuck at the Inland Clearance Depot (ICD) of Birgunj due to the Tarai protests, may heave a sigh of relief as Himalayan Terminals Pvt Ltd (HTPL) has decided to waive the detention charges for a period between September 20 to October 29 for delay in clearance of goods from the ICD.

The decision was made today by HTPL a Nepal-India joint venture terminal management company in view of the difficulties faced in customs clearance by the cargoes stuck at ICD Birgunj due to the Tarai protests.

Importers are expected to get relief to some extent with this move because imports have become costlier with goods stuck at Kolkata port for long and they have been compelled to pay high demurrage charges levied by the port authority.

Issuing a notice, HTPL has said, “The warehouse charges, open yard charges and container parking charges accrued on containers and cargoes at ICD Birgunj have been waived for the 40-day period, when making delivery was not possible due to the protest in the Tarai.”

HTPL has also urged importers who have already paid the bills for these charges during the mentioned period to submit their applications for refund along with a copy of the tax invoice and customs documents.

Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) had repeatedly approached Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) to waive the charges accrued due to the protests in the Tarai. CONCOR a subsidiary of Indian Railways has a major stake in HTPL.

“HTPL has waived rental charges for 40 days in line with our request with CONCOR,” said Laxman Basnet, executive director of NITDB.

Cargoes ferried via rail from Kolkata to ICD Birgunj the country’s only rail-linked ICD had been stuck there due to tension in the Tarai, especially in Birgunj, and only recently started being dispatched with escorting by security forces after the railway halted service citing congestion at ICD.

The rail service was interrupted for two consecutive weeks from September 23. As a result, the volume of cargoes at Kolkata port piled up as around seven to nine rakes (644 to 828 containers) are transported by rail in a week.

A rapid study conducted by Nepal Freight Forwarders’ Association has revealed that because of this, additional cost of import exceeded Rs five billion.

The government has expedited customs clearance at the ICD since the last few days. However, a large chunk of bulk and break bulk cargoes like chemical fertilisers and coal are yet to be released.

According to NITDB, 250 cargo containers, 40,000 tonnes of bulk cargo and 90,000 tonnes of break-bulk cargoes have been stuck at ICD Birgunj.

Meanwhile, Minister for Commerce and Supplies Ganesh Man Pun has said that the government will provide fuel to the truckers and containers to release the cargo from ICD Birgunj.

In the meeting with the delegation of Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NFTA), Minister Pun informed that the government will give top priority and provide security and fuel to release cargoes from ICD.

The cargoes that were dispatched from ICD is being escorted by security forces and the District Administration Office, Parsa, has ensured the required security, fuel and other necessary logistics to HTPL.

In the meeting with the commerce minister, NFTA delegation requested the government to take the initiative so that the demurrage and detention charges, accrued due to the protests, to be paid to shipping liners and Kolkata port could be waived.

Importers have to pay high detention charges levied by the port authority in Kolkata if they fail to release cargo within 20 days (ferried via rail) and one week (ferried via road).

Likewise, shipping liners also charge $80 to $120 per day if importers fail to return shipping liners within 14 days from the date Nepal-bound cargoes are dispatched from the Kolkata port.