July 30: The import of luxury vehicles from Birgunj, the country's main trading point, has decreased significantly. While the import of fuel-powered jeep, cars and vans has decreased, the import of electric vehicles has increased.

According to the data kept by the Birgunj Customs Office on its website, the import of vehicles such as jeeps, cars and vans decreased in the last fiscal year (FY 2022/23) compared to the FY 2021/22.

Birgunj Customs Officer Ram Chandra Dhakal informed that 1,110 four wheelers including jeeps, cars and vans entered through this checkpoint last year. This number was 5,674 the previous year.

According to the customs officials, the import has decreased because the government had banned the import of vehicles last year because of the decline in foreign exchange reserves.

Although the government has lifted the restrictions, imports have not increased. Due to the lack of demand in the market and the reluctance of banks to invest in the automobile sector, the import of vehicles has not increased despite the lifting of the ban, according to the traders.

On the other hand, the import of electric vehicles has increased. In the last fiscal year, the import of EVs increased by 127 percent. In the review year, 361 such vehicles were imported into the  country. The number was 159 in the previous year.

Meanwhile, the import of unassembled motorcycles has increased after the motorcycle assembling plant started operating in the country last year.

According to the customs office, 25,248 units of unassembled motorcycles were imported in the year 2021/22, while this number decreased to 18,333 in the last year. Imports of pickups vans, trucks-buses, ready-made motorcycles, vehicle parts, etc also seem to have decreased.