Kathmandu,
Sept. 25
Minister for
Finance Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada on Wednesday directed the customs officials at
the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office to maintain fairness,
transparency and efficiency in their business.
"Work
in a business-friendly way to facilitate the international trade of the
country," he directed the customs officials during his inspection of the office.
He said that since
the behaviour at the airport officials made the first and long-lasting
impressions on the visiting tourists and business people, all the staff members
of different offices at the TIA must maintain utmost efficiency and integrity.
TIA is the
fourth largest source of customs duty, after Birgunj, Bhairahawa and
Biratnagar. About 11 per cent of the import and 24.5 per cent export trade were
made through the TIA customs in the fiscal year 2018/19. Items ranging from
handicraft to vegetables are being exported via TIA.
FM Dr.
Khatiwada noted that the TIA would be crucial for the entry of foreign tourists
in the Visit Nepal Year 2020 so there should be an effective collaboration with
the Civil Aviation Office at the airport as well.
"Effective
cooperation among various agencies working at the airport is the prerequisite
for the success of the VNY 2020," he said and directed all concerned
agencies to work together in order to make the image of the country better.
He maintained
that the challenges of physical infrastructure at the airport would be managed
in the partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
To make the
movement of goods fast, he directed the customs office to expedite the service
process and auction the goods that were confiscated by the office or other
unclaimed items so that there would be more rooms for the exporters.
"Give
priority to the goods for export, make the inspection process fast and simple,
and use your wisdom so that it facilitates Nepali producers," he said.
He pointed
towards the need of collaboration among the security agencies, aviation office,
customs and immigration to provide fast and reliable services.
Dr. Khatiwada
also directed the Ministry of Finance and Department of Customs to manage
sufficient human resources at the office in order to facilitate the office to
achieve the revenue target for the current fiscal year.
Director
General of the DoC Suman Dahal, Administration Division Chief at the MoF Jhakka
Prasad Acharya and other high government officials had accompanied the minister
during the inspection.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 September 2019.
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