Kathmandu: Nepal’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has urged a broader rethink of the country’s customs administration, saying it should not be viewed merely as a tax-collecting body but as a key institution for border security, trade facilitation, public health protection, and supply chain management.
Speaking at an event marking International Customs Day in Kathmandu, ministry secretary Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire said customs plays a strategic role at border points, from ensuring the safe movement of goods to supporting smoother trade flows and safeguarding citizens through regulatory oversight.
He noted that while a Customs Reform and Modernization Strategy is currently being prepared, there appears to have been an overemphasis on annual programs and short-term milestones, potentially at the expense of long-term institutional modernization and strategic planning.
According to him, future efforts should strike a better balance by pursuing immediate operational targets alongside a forward-looking reform framework.
Ghimire also stressed that customs authorities must remain vigilant in line with existing customs law and that the private sector, as a major stakeholder in cross-border trade, must likewise comply with legal and regulatory standards.
His remarks signal a push to reposition Nepal’s customs system as a multidimensional governance institution central to economic management and national security, rather than solely a revenue arm of the state.
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