BIRGUNJ: The Birgunj Customs Office has collected Rs 221.78 billion in revenue during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year.

While this figure represents approximately 89% of the office’s targeted collection of Rs 249.19 billion for this specific period, officials have described the economic output as highly encouraging.

The Department of Customs had previously set a grand target of Rs 273.39 billion for the office for the entire fiscal year.

According to Uday Singh Bista, the Information Officer at the Birgunj Customs Office, this year’s collection reflects a 9% growth—equivalent to an increase of Rs 17.97 billion—compared to the same 11-month stretch of the previous fiscal year, which saw a intake of Rs 203.81 billion.

A month-by-month breakdown of the current fiscal year highlights steady financial activity: collections began with Rs 18.44 billion in Mid-July/Mid-August, followed by Rs 20.74 billion in Mid-August/Mid-September, Rs 19.09 billion in Mid-September/Mid-October, Rs 17.33 billion in Mid-October/Mid-November, and Rs 20.80 billion in Mid-November/Mid-December.

Moving into the winter and spring months, the collection recorded Rs 20.20 billion (Mid-Dec/Mid-Jan), Rs 18.92 billion (Mid-Jan/Mid-Feb), Rs 19.34 billion (Mid-Feb/Mid-Mar), Rs 22.82 billion (Mid-Mar/Mid-Apr), Rs 21.74 billion (Mid-Apr/Mid-May), and finally reached Rs 22.32 billion during the most recent period of Mid-May to Mid-June.

Trade volume data released by the office further reveals a marked increase in both imports and exports passing through this vital transit artery.

Over the past 11 months, goods and commodities valued at a massive Rs 890.07 billion entered Nepal through the Birgunj point, showing a significant jump from the Rs 770 billion worth of imports recorded during the same period last year.

On the export front, outbound trade from this border point also registered healthy growth, with commodities worth Rs 99.66 billion shipped to international markets over the last 11 months, up from the Rs 96.72 billion recorded in the previous fiscal year.