More emphasis on an import ban also follows complaints from betel nut farmers that smuggling was on the rise. Government figures have also shown that the country exports more betel nuts that it domestically produces.
Speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce, Industries and Consumer Welfare Relations held on Thursday, the member-lawmakers pointed out that 'farmers are staging protest programs citing lack of market. But the government's figures show that export of betel nuts have crossed the volume of the country's betel nut production. This proves that huge volume of betel nuts is re-exported to India and other countries while domestic betel nuts have no market.'
The committee had presented the figures of Fiscal Year 2013/14 when annual production of betel nuts in the country was recorded at 14,286 tons while the volume of export stood at 23,176 tons.
“This shows that betel nuts from third countries are re-exported while domestic betel nuts are lacking a market,” Dilman Pathak, one of the lawmaker said, adding: “With such a scenario, the government should immediately put a ban on import of betel nuts and promote the domestic ones.”
According to the lawmakers, this mismatch in export and production figures was a result of Certificates of Origin being issued to any product even when it is illegal to issue Certificates of Origin to foreign products.
The government allows the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) to issue such Certificates of Origin.
Talking at the meeting, Commerce Secretary Naindra Prasad Upadhaya said the government was committed to promoting domestic products. “We will investigate the issuing of Certificates of Origin on betel nuts imported from other countries and take necessary actions,” Upadhaya said, adding: “In case imports have to be banned for betel nuts, we will work on it after discussion with stakeholders.”
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