Nirmal Hari Adhikari, chief of Tatopani Customs Office, told Republica that trading resumed after customs officials and Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) agreed to form a joint taskforce to study customs valuation of goods of inferior quality.[break]
Adhikari said the customs office lost over Rs 30 million in revenue because of the three-day strike. About 40 containers enter Nepal via Tatopani customs every day.
“We called off our agitation as we have been assured that the to-be-formed taskforce will seek ways to resolve the problem that emanated from recent rise in customs valuation of goods,” said Rajendra Shrestha, president of SCCI.
Revenue collection from the largest customs along the country´s northern frontier had dropped to nil following disruption in trading of goods through the customs.
The traders had demanded that the government reconsider the recent rise in customs valuation of goods. They had demanded differential valuation of goods, arguing that quality of goods imported from China is not at par with goods imported through customs offices.
Tatopani customs had raised valuation of goods by 10 to 100 percent in line with the current transaction price of goods in the market.
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