Decrease In Diesel Imports Through Birgunj Customs

The Birgunj Customs Office reported that the import of diesel through Birgunj saw a decrease. It has decreased by 9.41% during the first four months of the current fiscal year. The total imported diesel is 246,719 kiloliters worth Rs. 21.84 billion. On the other hand, Rs. 30.17 billion worth of diesel was imported in the same period of the previous fiscal year. 

Deepak Lamichhane, Chief Customs Administrator, reported that the decrease in the import of diesel has resulted in a loss of government revenue by 15.16%. Diesel is now imported through the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline, and petrol is imported via tankers. The President of the Federation of Contractors’ Association of Nepal expressed his views on the decrease in diesel imports. The reason behind this is that the construction sector in Nepal has been facing a slowdown until mid-November, as construction sites are major consumers of diesel for machinery and transportation. Similarly, 142,865 kiloliters of petrol worth Rs. 12.42 billion were imported in the four months of the current fiscal year. In the same period of the last fiscal year, 129,126 kiloliters of petrol worth Rs. 13.18 billion were imported.