Kathmandu, August 7
Traders will be able to enjoy transhipment facility for Nepal-bound cargo from Visakhapatnam Port, also known as Vizag Port, to Inland Clearance Depot (ICD) Birgunj, as the Commissioner of Customs at Vizag Port has issued a notification stating the facility will be provided for Nepal-bound cargo containers using electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS).
The ECTS has already been enforced in Nepal-bound cargo ferried via rail from Kolkata port to ICD Birgunj — the country’s only rail-based ICD — and Bathnaha (India), the nearest rail head from Biratnagar customs.
ECTS will be compulsory for goods imported via Vizag even during the test phase of around 90 days, according to Ravi Shanker Sainju, joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS).
Though mode of transport will be changed from ship to rail at Vizag Port to ferry goods to ICD Birgunj, Nepali traders will not be required to carry out customs transit declaration at Vizag port and it will be done in ICD Birgunj.
Similar to the Kolkata Port, traders will have to pay around $45 per container for the electronic seal to the service provider. The port customs will not affix additional lock in these containers.
As per the provision of transit treaty, the Indian customs affix additional lock to prevent the deviation of Nepal-bound cargo in the Indian market. However, the cargo containers that have electronic seal can be monitored by the Indian customs office at port, land customs office of Raxaul and Birgunj customs office as well.
The cost and time of third-country trade are expected to come down along with the execution of the transhipment from Vizag as well. The notification issued by the Commissioner of Customs at Vizag Port titled ‘Transport of Containers by Train from Visakhapatnam Port to Birgunj under Transhipment Procedure-Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) on Pilot Basis’ has stated that shipping lines and Container Corporation (CONCOR) — a subsidiary of Indian Railways — will execute a transhipment bond, undertaking responsibility for the sealing and movement of goods from Vizag Container Terminal to the last destination port or ICD Birgunj.
“The concerned shipping line has to declare the Nepal-bound cargo as transhipment cargo destined for ICD Birgunj at the time of filing the arrival manifest, with the bond number clearly mentioned in the document,” as per the notification. “Cargo Transhipment Approval Order with transit port number and date will be generated in the Indian Customs EDI (electronic data interchange) System similar to the Transhipment Permits issued to other ICDs.”
As per the notification issued by the Vizag Commissioner of Customs, the proper officer at Vizag container terminal or designated container freight station shall endorse the ECTS seal number on the two copies of the Transhipment Permit and hand over both the copies to the carrier, which will have to be carried along with the goods. Out of these two copies, one copy shall be surrendered at Land Customs Station (LCS), Raxaul and the other copy shall be handed over to ICD Birgunj, which will be checked at the land customs office of Raxaul before the train enters Nepal.
Written by Sandeep
This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/vizag-port-to-allow-transhipment-facility/ under the title “Vizag Port to allow transhipment facility”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
