Money
Importers face hassles at Rasuwagadhi border point
Traders have been facing hassles while importing goods through the Rasuwagadhi-Keyirong border point as China does not issue one-day entry permits to people from outside Rasuwa to take delivery of imported goods.Prakash Adhikari
Traders have been facing hassles while importing goods through the Rasuwagadhi-Keyirong border point as China does not issue one-day entry permits to people from outside Rasuwa to take delivery of imported goods.
With the Tatopani trade route remaining closed after last year’s earthquake, Rasuwagadhi has emerged as the main route for inland trade with China.
Recently, a truck transporting goods imported by Sindhupalchowk-based trader Basu Basnet met with an accident on the Chinese side of the border, but Basnet could not enter Keyirong to take stock of the damage to his goods and to prepare a police report of the accident due to non-issuance of the one-day permit. As a result, he has so far failed to make insurance claims.
In a similar incident, a trader from Kathmandu could not clear his truck one and half months ago with the Chinese authority not issuing the permit.
Arjun Sapkota, secretary of Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said traders from outside Rasuwa are facing serious problems.
In last one and half months, about a dozen accidents have taken place along the 24km long road from Keyirong to Rasuwagadhi because inexperienced drivers from Rasuwa were assigned to take delivery of the imported goods, according to Sapkota.
The traders said they are forced to hire inexperienced local drivers to enter the Chinese territory, increasing the chances of accidents. Status of a truck that had plunged into a river near Keyirong two months ago is still unknown, they said.
The traders have demanded China issue the one-day entry permit to Nepali traders as per the recommendation of local business chambers. Earlier, the Chinese authority used to issue the permit to the traders as per the recommendation of local business chambers, said Sapkota.
With traders facing hassles while importing goods from China, it has resulted in price hike of imported goods. The traders have to pay an additional charge of Rs15,000 to local drivers from Rasuwa, which incr- eases their costs. The cost goes up further in the event of accidents. The increased cost is eventually passed on to end consumers.
Chief District Officer of Rasuwa Krishna Prasad Adhikari admitted the Chinese side’s reluctance to issue the permit to all Nepali traders has created difficulties. “The traders have been forced to trust third parties to transport goods worth millions of rupees. This is an unfortunate situation,” he said, adding the government is working to settle the issue.