Cement industries in Rupandehi increase export

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, Feb. 24; The cement industries operating in Rupandehi have, of late, started exporting cement to India. The cement industries here have been exporting cement by receiving the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) from the Quality Department of the Government of India.

The cement industries including Arghakhanchi, Shubhashree, Jagdamba, Palpa and Sarbottam have been exporting their products to India through the Belhia border in Rupandehi for the past two years.

The Balaji Cement Industry in Kapilvastu is also exporting its products through Krishnanagar border. The cement industries located in Rupandehi and West Nawalparasi are exporting cement through the Belahiya border.

Chief of Bhairahawa Customs Office Narad Gautam said that the export of cement was good. "If we look at the latest data, cement export is good. If we continue to export at this ratio, it will be very profitable for the country," he said, "The industries are starting to increase the quantity of cement export. Many industrialists are emphasising export promotion.” The clinker, which was once imported from India, is now being exported to India.

"This is a very positive thing," Gautam said, "Clinker import has been replaced." According to the data of the Customs Office, cement and clinker worth Rs. 1.66 have been exported to India through the Belahiya border in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

During the first seven months, around 355,174 tonnes of cement worth Rs. 913 million have been exported. Similarly, about 250,733 tonnes of clinker worth Rs. 753 million was exported to India through Belahiya border.

During the review period, the cement and clinker worth Rs. 2.06 billion has been exported from Nepal to India during the first seven months of the current fiscal year. The cement export has doubled during the current fiscal year as compared to last year. Cement worth Rs. 318 million was exported in the last fiscal year.

Through the budget of the last fiscal year, the government announced an 8 per cent cash subsidy if various items are exported more than the specified quantity. Accordingly, the industries are increasing exports to India.

The government has arranged to provide 8 per cent cash subsidy to eight commodities, including clinker, cement, steel, footwear, purified water and information technology-based services and business outsourcing, which have high potential in export.

As domestic consumption of cement is low, industries have got some relief by exporting to India. According to industrialists, domestic consumption is now limited to 20 to 30 per cent of the total production. Until a few years ago, we had to rely on India for cement and clinker.