Kathmandu, March 23
The management committee of Birgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP) has awarded the contract to a private sector company to operate its terminal including dry port, integrated check post and container freight station from April 1.
Kailasha Terminals JV (a joint venture of Bindabasini Logistics Pvt Ltd of Nepal, and TRS Lift and Shift Services Pvt Ltd and Apeejay Shipping Ltd of India) has been selected for the operation and management of the ICP with the highest score in the evaluation process.
As per the legal provision, TRS Himalayan Logipark Pvt Ltd has been registered and its official representative Madhav Prasad Baral and Deputy Director of Nepal Intermodal Transport Develop-ment Board Harekrishna Mishra signed a five-year agreement on March 20 for the operation and management of the ICP. The Executive Director of NITDB Ashish Gajurel, other employees of the board and representatives of TRS Himalayan Logipark Pvt Ltd were also present in the signing programme.
According to the contract, for operating and managing the integrated check post, the company will pay the minimum lease recovery amount of nearly Rs 1.81 billion for five years.
In addition, if the number of vehicles is more than that projected by the NITDB, the company will also pay the additional amount for additional vehicles at the rate mentioned in the contract.
The board will remain as the regulatory body whereas the selected company will operate and manage the ICP as per the conditions and service level mentioned in the contract.
The committee believes that after the operation and management of the integrated check post by the private sector, there will be more agility in the business through the check post and it will also be more economical from the point of view of cost.
The management committee had sought international level bids from qualified private sector companies to operate the Birgunj ICP on July 27, 2022.
There were altogether five qualified bidders - Highway-Atlas-EFC JV from Kathmandu; Pristine Interstate JV from New Delhi, India; TransNepal Freight Services Pvt Ltd from Biratnagar; SS Terminals JV from Kathmandu; and Kailasha Terminals JV from Kathmandu.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
