The Rising Nepal.

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Jan. 20: The import of sugar, rice, lentils, and cotton fabric, which had been declining in recent years through the Nepal-India border in Nepalgunj, has started to rise again.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year 2024/25, the import of sugar, rice, lentils, and cotton fabric through the Nepalgunj border has increased significantly.

According to the Nepalgunj Customs Office, sugar import, which had dropped the most in the previous year, has risen by 16-fold in the first six months of the current fiscal year. 

The office reported that sugar imports during the same period of the last fiscal year 2023/24 amounted to Rs. 8.473 million, while this year it reached Rs. 141.292 million, 16 times higher.

Revenue collection from sugar imports, which was Rs. 3.989 million in the first six months of the last fiscal year, increased to Rs. 62.376 million during the same period this year. Revenue from sugar imports rose by Rs. 58.387 million.

Similarly, rice imports have also increased significantly compared to the previous fiscal year. While rice worth Rs. 226 million was imported during the first six months of the last fiscal year, this year it reached Rs. 2.92 billion during the same period.

Revenue from rice imports increased by 30 per cent, from Rs.  259 million in the first six months of the last fiscal year to Rs.  338 million in the same period this fiscal year.

The Nepalgunj Customs Office also reported a significant increase in lentil imports. Lentils worth Rs. 715 million was imported during the first six months of the last fiscal year, which rose to Rs. 821 million during the same period this fiscal year. 

Cotton fabric imports have also shown growth, according to the office.

Sugar, rice, lentils, and cotton fabric, which have seen an increase in import through the Nepalgunj border, are among the most commonly smuggled items. 

The Nepalgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated that stricter measures against smuggling and illegal imports this fiscal year have led to an increase in legal imports.

Chiranjibi Oli, Senior Vice President of the Chamber, noted that an increase in illegal imports typically results in a decline in legal imports. 

He added that the rise in legal imports indicates a reduction in illegal trade. Additionally, Oli highlighted that increased demand and consumption have also contributed to the growth in imports.

Published Date: January 20, 2025