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Stone export okayed in limited quantities
KATHMANDU, APR 12 -
The Department of Commerce has started to collect details of crusher industries interested in exporting sand, stones and crushed stones under the government's new provision of "quantity restriction".
A cabinet meeting held on April 5 had decided to allow the export of stones, sand and aggregates in limited quantities for the remaining period of the current fiscal year.
Firms wanting to export these products have to obtain a license from the department after submitting a recommendation from the District Coordination Committee regarding the district's export capability and information about the firm's annual production capacity.
"We have received a number of applications particularly
from firms in Makwanpur. Companies based in Bhairahawa are also going to submit the required information within a few days," said Anil Thakur, director general of the department. "Upon receiving the license, entrepreneurs will be able to export sand and stones for the next three months with a quantity restriction."
According to the department, a separate notice will be issued later regarding export for the next fiscal year. So far, seven firms have submitted their information to obtain the license. The department plans to forward the document to the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies for further processing within a week. "We expect to receive information from some 15-20 firms within a week," said director Shankar Hari Acharya at the department.
"The ministry will also fix the quantity to be exported based on the production capacity of the district and the firm."
On Jan. 4, the parliamentary Natural Resources and Means Committee had directed the government to immediately stop the export of sand, stones and crushed stones to India citing the reason of environmental degradation. There is an estimated investment of Rs. 40 billion in the crusher industry.
According to crusher industrialists, the ban imposed by the government had affected around 200 crushing factories across the country besides the operators of 5,000 tipper trucks and 750 heavy loaders. Annual production is worth Rs. 60 billion with exports to India accounting for Rs. 50 billion.
Crusher entrepreneurs have been demanding that firms that have been operating in accordance with government environmental guidelines regarding excavation should be allowed to export their products. They admitted that there had been illegal excavation affecting the environment, which they said the government should stop by being more vigilant.
"This new provision will also discourage illegal exports as firms will now need an export license," said Acharya. "Firms that have been exporting sand and stones illegally will face strict action as per the law."
A study said that nearly 60,000 tons of sand, stones and crushed stones were being exported to India on a daily basis legally and illegally prior to the ban.
Posted on: 2010-04-13 07:10
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