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Kathmandu,Thursday January 20, 2000 Magh 6th, 2056.
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Investigate
The "sudden disappearance" of a
sizeable consignment from a godown the other day at the Kathmandu Airport Customs has
stunned the entire business community. This has also sent waves of concern among the
people. For, this reveals how businessmen and customs officials collude to undervalue
expensive import items and deny the government its due revenue. The incident has also shed
light on the fact that importers bluff their way out the customs declaring expensive
merchandise as poor imitation and thus cheap. As a matter of fact, the latest incident in
the series of customs-related discrepancies at the TIA, rules out any doubts that the
bureaucratic machinery at customs posts around the country, particularly at TIA, have been
providing safe passage for valuable goods at undervalued prices. Undervaluation at customs
means the importer pays less duties and sells goods at unjustifiably and unethically high
profits. The resultant all-pervading corruption that this kind of economic crimes breed is
all too evident to need any elaboration.
For several years, Sushma Trading Concern
(STC) had been importing expensive items from Thailand. Every time, it used to clear the
consignment for less than 15,000 rupees at TIA customs. But this time, it did not happen.
One of its consignments, which contained the "artificial gem", had to be checked
as it was suspected to be worth more than what was stated in the invoice. According to the
findings, the 6.5 kilos "coloured glass stones" consignment imported from
Thailand in October was worth over one million rupees. The consignment which was lying in
the godown of Nepal Transit and Warehousing Corporation was clearly undervalued.
Surprisingly, it disappeared half an hour after the cargo was handed over to TIA customs
office. How?
The case calls for a thorough investigation and the need to
bring the guilty to justice. The haphazard manner in which such cases have been dealt with
in the past must not be repeated if the government is to fulfil its promise of a
corruption free administration. The consignment which was undervalued should not have
taken so long for customs clearance had there not been any disagreement between STC and
customs officials over possible give and take. The inordinate delay in customs clearance
explicitly shows that there was a deal that failed to materialize and hence, the
desperation on the part of officials which has ended in the goods doing the vanishing
trick. In the past too, such expensive goods have been cleared by customs officials as
"fake and imitation". It need not be reiterated that corruption - be it at TIA
customs, RNAC, roads administration or other places - has really defamed the
country’s image badly over the last one decade. Even the country’s so called
democratic leaders are allegedly involved in shady deals with businessmen. The association
of politicians with alleged smugglers and their ilk has made people unhappy and angry. The
government can allow this to
continue only at greatest of peril to the nation and to the people. It has to stop such
activities and punish those who are involved in shady deals. Otherwise, the country's
economy will continue to remain under corrupt bureaucrats, politicians, and businessmen.
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