December 18 : With a motto to replace import of pens, an industrialist has brought a pen industry into operation at Bara-Parsa Corridor.

The industry with the name “Beena Shakti Paper and Stationery Product” has come into operation. Industry’s Proprietor Manoj Kumar Marodiya said that he had brought the industry into operation with a goal to manufacture 90 million sets of sets of pens a year. 

“Nepal has a great market for pens and stationery product. But, imported products have captured the market. We have brought the industry into operation to avail this market”, said Marodiya.

Operated with the initial investment of Rs Rs 400 million, the industry will manufacture 16 types of pens costing from Rs 5 to Rs 50 under “Frenz” brand. 

The industry will manufacture erasers, sharpeners and scales as well. Marodiya estimates that Nepal requires 300 million  sets of pens at present. “Pens worth Rs 2 billion sell in the domestic market a year”, he added.

Marodiya says that he has used two-decades of his experience earned in the import of pens and stationery in the new industry. He claims that country can become self-dependent if the government provides policy-level support to the his industry. 

Marodiya, however, laments that he is having a tough time competing with imported pens due to nominal margin of custom duty in the import of raw materials used for making pens and readymade pens. Pens imported avoiding tax have added woes to the domestic industry.

The government imposes 10 and 15 taxes in the import of raw materials used to making pens and readymade pens respectively. 
 

The industry has been importing raw materials from India, Japan, South Korea and Germany to manufacture pens, according to Marodiya.