By Our Correspondent
Bhairahawa, Jan.9: Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rupendehi has demanded that Nepal-India border, especially the Belahiya-Sunauli borderpoint, through which a larger number of tourists enter Nepal, be reopened. The association has requested the government to create an environment conducive to increasing the tourist activities in the region by fully reopening the border checkpoints, complying with all the safety measures taken by the government.
Handing over a memorandum through Pitamber Ghimire, Chief District Officer of Rupendehi, to Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of the federal government, the association made that demand on Friday.
The border has remained closed for the past 10 months in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.
Sanjay Bajimay, Working Committee Member of the association and Coordinator of the Tourism Committee, said that the checkpoint should be reopened as national and international flights alongside tourism activities had resumed in other countries.
"Tourism entrepreneurs have been particularly hit hard by the border closure as they have to pay bank interest, house rent, taxes, various government revenues and staff salaries, among others, regardless of the closure," reads the statement.
Thakur Kumar Shrestha, Vice-President of Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with other officials had reached the district administration office to hand over the memorandum.