Kathmandu, Feb 5: The Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, which conducted the monitoring of various custom offices from Nepalgunj to Birgunj, has concluded that customs offices were full of malfeasance.
Unmanaged offices, open border, lack of inter-agency coordination, rise in smuggling, and collusion for customs evasion were found rife in the custom offices, they shared during the Committee meeting.
The Committee had conducted the monitoring of custom offices from January 24 to 29. The findings of the monitoring were shared and discussion held in the meeting on Wednesday.
In the meeting, lawmaker Padam Giri said the custom office at border were full of hassles. “Most of the offices lacked essential infrastructures. The machines to check consignment entry are intentionally conked out. The collusion among government employees, security persons, custom agents, and traders was found entrenched,” he shared.
Lawmaker Ganga Karki viewed the technology was not used properly in customs check. Custom offices need to be technology-friendly, she stressed.
Similarly, lawmaker Ranakumari Balampaki Magar wondered why there were many vehicles left stranded for long in the customs yard.
Lawmaker Juli Kumari Mahato questioned security issues of customs.
Anjali Shrestha said staffs at customs office were found involving in making the machine dysfunctional in course of monitoring.
Committee member Surya Bahadur Thapa shared though some improvements were seen as compared to previous in customs administration, many problems still existed.
Member Ammar Bahadur Rayamajhi stressed the need of increasing number of security persons deputed in check points while Tshiring Damdul Lama Bhote shared that a large quantity of goods was being smuggled to Nepal, evading tax.
Stating that it was wrong to describe that customs employees did not work with good intention, lawmaker Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, however, stressed the need of adequate attention for further improvement.
On the occasion, Inspector General of Nepal Police, Basanta Kunwar, mentioned that the police seized goods worth Rs 3 billion brought by evading tax in current fiscal year while Inspector General of the Armed Police Force, Nepal, Raju Aryal, shared that there are around 1,200 people involved in smuggling goods in the bordering areas across the country. #lawmaker
