Minister Mahat urges customs employees to change mindset

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 13: Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged the customs staff to be active keeping in mind the interests and concerns of the common people in view of the changing situation.

He made this remark while addressing a customs management seminar organised by the Department of Customs on Sunday.

Minister Dr. Mahat said, "First of all, there is a need to change the mindset of the employees. There should be a change in the mindset of ‘I have rights, it doesn't matter if they are misused."

The Finance Minister made it clear that the employees should not engage in bargaining for personal gains by creating inconveniences for the importers and taxpayers.

He said, “I have visited many customs checkpoints; the employees are behaving like that and reports are coming to the ministry. 

This is wrong and it should be stopped. There are also staff who work sincerely. The customs leadership should not evaluate these employees by putting them in the same basket. The leadership should evaluate the role of the employees by keeping correct information.”

There is no option but to maximise the use of technology to improve customs administration and deliver effective services to the service seekers, he said.

Giving the example of Birgunj Customs, he said that a big X-ray machine has been kept without using it for years there.

“If it is used, what is our job? It was heard from some staff. Such a mindset should be changed and the technology should be used properly,” he said.

The Finance Minister said that if the employees worked honestly, the target of revenue collection and improvement of customs administration would be achieved.

"We should not harass our importers and taxpayers in the name of collecting more revenue," Dr. Mahat said. "If the work is done legally, we can reach the goal."

He said that economic activity should increase in the present situation.

Facilitation in customs must for increased exports

On the occasion, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Chandra Prasad Dhakal said that the government should facilitate customs in order to promote exports.

He said that there is a provision of different customs rates between raw materials and finished goods, but it has not been implemented, and he requested to conduct a detailed study and solve the problem. 

Stating that the time required for customs clearance in other countries of the world and the documents required for exporting goods is much easier than in Nepal, he said that it was necessary to review it.

"It takes an hour to prepare export documents in 23 countries of the world, one hour to pass customs inspection for exports in 16 countries, zero cost for preparing documents for export in 17 economies, and zero cost for crossing borders for exports in 16 economies. Even in our neighbouring country Bhutan, import and export take the same time. 

However, it takes 11 hours for customs clearance in Nepal," he said. "Export cannot be promoted without reducing this time."

Stating that a report from the World Bank shows that customs duty exemption on raw materials, on all capital goods or semi-processed goods would increase production and exports and increase employment significantly, President Dhakal urged for its effective implementation.

He said that it is necessary to implement a single window system in foreign trade, arrange for at least 98 per cent of goods to be tested at the customs point and use technology such as X-ray machines to simplify the customs clearance process.

In another context, President Dhakal emphasised that the confidence of both investors and consumers should be enhanced to improve the economy.

"There is no situation for further deterioration of our economy. However, the economy is not improving because of our inability to enhance the confidence of investors and consumers. The government and Nepal Rastra Bank should take positive initiatives to improve it immediately," he said.