BIRGUNJ, Aug 31 : Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has instructed concerned agencies to work in coordination to curb illegal smuggling and cross-border trade at Nepal’s border points.
Speaking at a meeting of the Revenue Leakage Control Coordination Committee held at the District Administration Office in Parsa on Sunday, Minister Lekhak directed the local administration, customs offices, and all three security agencies to coordinate and cooperate in order to effectively prevent smuggling and illicit exports.
Kailali locals join hands to curb cross-border smuggling
“For effective control of revenue leakage, I urge all concerned bodies to move forward with mutual coordination,” he said, stressing that agencies should not blame one another but rather work together. He also called on stakeholders to take proactive measures to reduce smuggling and other criminal activities in border areas.
Chief Customs Administrator of Birgunj Customs Office, Bishnu Prasad Gyawali, said revenue collection at the office had seen significant growth compared to the previous fiscal year. “Revenue collection increased encouragingly in the last fiscal year compared to the year before, and we expect to meet our target this year as well,” he said, adding that curbing smuggling required collective efforts from all agencies.
Hari Prasad Sharma, head of the Revenue Investigation Office in Pathlaiya, emphasized the need for security agencies to discourage the transport of goods without proper bills. He warned that some Indian nationals were misusing the citizenship identity of low-income Nepali citizens to register firms and conduct smuggling, underscoring the need for stronger coordination to prevent revenue leakage.
Chief District Officer of Parsa, Toyanath Subedi, expressed his commitment to working with all relevant bodies to maintain law and order in the district and to prevent revenue leakage.
Meanwhile, Madhesh Province Police Chief, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Uma Prasad Chaturvedi, highlighted the need to discourage the practice of opening warehouses around customs points, which often facilitated smuggling activities.
