NC objects to mandatory customs duties on goods

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 20: The Nepali Congress has expressed serious concern over recent incidents in Nepal’s border areas where mandatory customs duties are being imposed on household and personal-use goods valued above Rs. 100.

Issuing a statement, party spokesperson Devraj Chalise said such actions or government behaviour are not only anti-people, impractical and insensitive, but also place an additional burden on citizens already struggling amid the current economic crisis.

“Due to the open border, residents of border areas have been purchasing daily essentials from India at lower prices to sustain their livelihoods. In particular, millions of ordinary people in Madhes Province, daily wage labourers, small farmers and low-income families, have been directly affected by this decision,” the statement reads. 

At a time when diesel prices have reached as high as Rs. 237 per litre, imposing additional charges even on small purchases of Rs. 200–300 not only weakens people’s purchasing power but also represents a policy that perpetuates poverty.

Such a policy has heightened a sense of discrimination among citizens in the border regions of Madhes, posing a serious challenge to national unity and social justice.

Furthermore, the NC has asked the government to withdraw the decision immediately or establish a practical threshold for personal-use goods. 

Likewise, the party has asked to reduce or temporarily waive the customs duties on essential daily items such as food, clothing, oil, and soap. It has also demanded the introduction of targeted relief packages and subsidies for agriculture, irrigation and small industries for Madhes Pradesh. 

The party has also asked the government to implement a transparent fuel pricing system, alongside a pro-poor cross-subsidy policy to control fuel prices and introduce, even as a short-term measure, taxes and duties on fuel imports. 

“While revenue collection is a responsibility of the state, protecting the lives and living standards of citizens is an even greater priority. Any policy that adds further burden to people’s daily lives is unacceptable,” the statement reads.