As if that were not enough, importers, particularly those operating in the bordering cities, are increasingly mobilizing children, disabled and women to transport goods across the Nepal-India border. Such use of humans for smuggling has only made the task of controlling revenue leakage more difficult, says latest findings of Ministry of Finance (MoF).[break]
“Unlike in the past, when adults were used as cross-border transporter, these days children are being mobilized. We even found cases where people on wheel-chair were used inhumanely to carry the goods across the border,” said Krishna Hari Baskota, who disclosed a fresh finding of a study carried out by senior Ministry officials in major bordering cities of the country.
The Ministry officials have even found that these cross-border human transporters do not work individually. “In Kakrbhitta, we found that there exist a group of 300 persons who work as such transporter across the Mechi customs,” said Baskota.
Repeated use of the same customs declaration forms, repackaging the goods being imported in wraps that read the goods were produced in Nepal and use of counterfeit excise stickers are other major tricks that MoF team found importers of resorting to dodge revenue officials and evade taxes.
“It is pretty difficult to assertain how much losses each of these trick is causing. But what is for sure is the cumulative revenue loss they are causing is significant,” said Baskota.
The Ministry´s study has also identified major items that are mostly smuggled through 16 different bordering towns and customs.
For instance, the MoF findings suggests that vehicle parts are mostly smuggled into the country through Ilam, Bhairahawa, Birgunj and Bardiya, while construction materials like cement and hardware mostly enter the country illegally through Dang, Dhangadi, Krishnanagar and Bhairahawa.
Unauthorized trade of betel nuts mostly happens through borders in Banke, Siraha, Morang and Jhapa districts. Smuggling of food items, textiles and household utensils happens through almost all customs.
Based on those findings, MoF has suggested senior officials based in major customs to take numerous measure to check the unauthorized trade and revenue leakage.
Under the new measures, MoF has asked armed police force deployed in 10 major customs to consistently monitor movements across the border upto 10 km from the customs point.
“We have instructed Department of Revenue Investigation to intensify its vigilance and also start highway patrol,” said Baskota. Border Patrols deployed in 64 places along the southern border too have been asked to keep special eye on movements along the small customs, he added.
Through revenue control measures adopted so far, Baskota said the government has managed to collect Rs 262.29 million worth of additional revenue over the first eight months of this fiscal year.
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