Nepali market becomes vibrant after border tightening

By Our Correspondent,Barahakshetra, May 13: Consumer activity in markets across districts bordering India in eastern Nepal has increased, with more people now shopping in local stores for daily household goods. The rise in customers comes after the government-imposed customs duties on goods worth more than Rs. 100 brought in through Indian border points.

Traders said that consumer shopping in Nepali markets has increased after authorities strictly enforced the new rule. As a result, the number of Nepali shoppers travelling to India for everyday purchases via border points such as Kakarbhitta and the Biratnagar–Jogbani crossing in Morang, as well as smaller border routes, has declined significantly.

Jogbani border point, which usually remained crowded with Nepali shoppers from eastern Nepal, has seen fewer visitors after tighter checks were introduced. This has led to increased shopping in Nepali markets for daily essentials. Consumers in rural Sunsari who regularly crossed into India to buy household goods have also reduced such trips following stricter monitoring by security personnel, said the local people.

People living in border districts had long depended on Indian markets for everyday goods as well as items needed for weddings, bratabandha ceremonies and other auspicious occasions. Consumers who had been shopping in Indian markets for years are now being forced to buy goods from Nepali markets due to stricter border controls.

Sabitra Chandrabanshi of Barahakshetra–9 in Sunsari is one such consumer who previously relied on Indian markets for groceries and household goods. Like many others, she regularly travelled around 25 kilometres to Indian markets such as Bela and Basmatiya because products were cheaper there than in Nepal. However, she has stopped going recently after customs duties were imposed. According to her, shopping across the border has become more expensive due to the stricter checks, so she has now started buying goods from Nepali markets instead.This has significantly reduced business activity in the markets across the border.

Residents in border areas say stricter enforcement by security and customs officials has reduced cross-border shopping. Consumers from different districts had previously travelled to border markets such as Jogbani, Basmatiya, Bela and Birpur for shopping. However, after the tighter regulations, the number of Nepali consumers visiting Indian markets has fallen, according to Dhan Bahadur Lama, a local.

“The practice of bringing in large quantities of goods without paying customs duty under the pretext of household use has declined. Unlike before, people are no longer allowed to bring large amounts of goods in the name of household purposes,” he said. 

Residents in border areas also say that the stricter controls have helped reduce smuggling, which had become common because of the open border.

Meanwhile, businesspeople in Nepal have welcomed the increased border checks, saying they have had a positive impact on domestic markets. Traders in eastern Nepal, who previously spent entire days waiting for customers, are now encouraged by the increase in business activity. Grocery trader Mahesh Sharma said that sales of retail items had started to rise after tighter border monitoring was introduced.