Government to Introduce "Blue Lane" Customs Clearance for Authorised Business Persons

Kathmandu — Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has announced various plans for trade facilitation and improvement of customs procedures through the budget.

Wagle said arrangements will be made to clear goods through a "blue lane" at customs, with the identification of authorised business persons, to honour good businesses and facilitate trade.

The Finance Minister said the transaction value-based online customs clearance system will be made more robust, transparent, and realistic. He said the post-clearance audit office will be restructured.

He said that to facilitate tourists entering Nepal by land, arrangements have been made at all main customs offices for declaring the temporary import of vehicles and paying the fee online.

Wagle said the system of declaring goods brought for wedding purposes, taking a deposit, and refunding the deposit when returning after the wedding will be automated to promote wedding tourism.

The Finance Minister said a simple arrangement will be made to allow tourists to bring in convertible foreign currency within the limit prescribed by law.