Nepal faces Rs 21 billion loss after Madhes stir
KATHMANDU: The country has suffered economic loss worth more than Rs 21 billion since the Birgunj customs point remained disrupted following the agitation waged by disgruntled Madhes-centric political parties for more than four months.
The Birgunj Customs Office collects about 55 per cent of the total revenue. According to the Customs Office, it could achieve the target of collecting Rs 1.99 billion against its target of collecting Rs 7 billion in first four months of the current fiscal year 2015/2016.
According to a spokesperson of the Customs Office, Surya Sedhai, the loss was also incurred due to the closure of the major checkpoints adjoining Indian border points. He marked that the disruption in the import of fuel, especially petroleum from India, caused the steep decline in the revenue collection.
Sedhai was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that the country was bound to suffer a heavy economic loss if the disruption in the major Customs Offices continues like that.
