Customs exemption for import of materials for dry port construction in Kanchanpur forwarded to MoF

MAHENDRANAGAR, KANCHANPUR: A recommendation has been made for customs exemption on the import of construction materials and tools for the dry port under construction in Mahakali Municipality, formerly Dodhara‑Chandani Municipality, in Kanchanpur district.

Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board Executive Director Ashish Gajurel said the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) granted approval for the exemption, and the matter was recommended to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for implementation.

He said the MoICS approved the submitted list of materials and tools necessary for the dry port construction and moved the process forward accordingly.

"The contractor had submitted a list for customs exemption to bring tools and materials for construction from India," Gajurel said. "The same list has been approved and has reached the implementation stage."

The dry port is being constructed with financial assistance from the Indian government. India has awarded the contract to a construction company, which has started work.

Gajurel said the construction company has begun site works, including levelling the soil and building structures to accommodate workers, and that work will gather pace after tools and construction materials are imported from India.

The project is planned for completion within three years at a cost of Rs 3.8 billion. Infrastructure will be built on a 42.36‑hectare area of Gaurishankar Community Forest in Dodhara‑Chandani area of Mahakali Municipality‑1. Structures will include two warehouses, a customs checkpoint, quarantine, immigration and security buildings.

The dry port is being built at the western end of the four‑lane motorable bridge over Mahakali River. Locals said they are pleased and expect Kanchanpur to develop as the major trade point of Sudurpashchim Province once the port is completed.

Officials expect the dry port to contribute significantly to the development of Sudurpashchim by providing easier access to India’s capital, New Delhi, and the Rudrapur Industrial Area in Uttarakhand, which is about 90 kilometres away. The government first advanced the proposal to build a dry port at this site in 2007.

(With inputs from RSS)