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Post |
| Taat |
Posted
on 05-Mar-02 07:53 AM
Currently in the US but I am trying to send a gift that I bought from an online store and thinking about asking a direct delivery to Nepal. Its a pretty big item worth over $2000, I am just worried how the customs will handle this (since the USD will be paid by me from here).
I would appreciate if anyone could throw in some suggestion on how to handle this in Nepal.
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| thule |
Posted
on 05-Mar-02 01:13 PM
when you send it by a courier service, you should be able to insure your gift. try sending it through DHL. i don't think UPS goes to nepal. DHL does personal delivery too. You can also ask in the local post office. They do have a courier service.
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| krishna |
Posted
on 05-Mar-02 01:23 PM
Federal Express also has an agent in Putali Sadak (at least they did back in '98). Ensure that your gift is insured for the full amount you paid for it.
COURIERS
Airborne Express, Kantipath 249619/249889
DHL International, Kamaladi 222358/223222
Emery Worldwide, Kantipath 222217/221392
Federal Express, Ram Shah Path 418008
Overseas Courier Service, Durbar Marg 224854/223871
TNT Express Worldwide, Kantipath 240453/243237
UPS United Parcel Service, Exhibition Road 230215/241100
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| Taat |
Posted
on 05-Mar-02 06:21 PM
Thule and Krishna, thanks for your help. My question was more in regards to the Customs Clearance process in Nepal. I had previously sent an item that was $5 worth but since it was liquid, the courier charged me $179 (yeah that's right). Somehow the total value of the product on the invoice was shown as $184. Since it was over $100, the Custom officials at TIA would not let it through DHL. DHL contacted my people in Nepal and my people finally (with hook and crook) took it out.
Although these couriers will take your product/items to Nepal, the customs won't release if worth more than $100 on the invoice through them. Another way to get around this problem is to under-invoice, but the item I am sending is visibly big and no one will believe it.
My question is more about the paperwork. If I send my pay-stub or something like that to show my earning wonder if that would help.
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| krishna |
Posted
on 06-Mar-02 11:08 AM
T,
Sorry my reply wasn't more relevant to your initial query. The customs clearance process is very problematic, particularly for Nepalis. Sadly, and I do not recommend it, hook and/or crook seem to work the best in the short term. Hopefully, other folks (possibly couriers?) can offer some helpful insights on how to game the system legally. Good luck!
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| ? |
Posted
on 06-Mar-02 04:58 PM
every now and then nepali patriotism becomes vivid in this site, people want to root out corruption and suggest others not to bribe the officials. But when it comes to ourself, all the idealistic stances make no sense and we start trying to find out a loop in our system so that we can get away without paying a penny....isnt it ironical?
as far as i know, any thing more than 100$, even though if it is a gift, requires a custom alearance. The duty that you pay entirely depend on what u r sending. If you pay the custom, i dont think u will have any problem. All the problems come when people dont want to pay that. I wonder when some one can buy something that worths $2000( almost ded lakh), why on earth he starts sweating the moment it comes paying to nepali govt....Are all the patriotism and thul thula kura done just for the sake of thul thula kura. Blaming the custom staff for ghus and under invoicing seem similar to me.
This kind of nepalipan really sucks
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| Taat |
Posted
on 07-Mar-02 10:56 AM
Some of you don't understand how things in Nepal work? It is not possible always to pay taxes and things get cleared.
I already mentioned one of the anecdotes about the $5 product which I was not willing to pay either Rs. 2000 in ghush or Rs. 5600 for customs (the amount is rounded to the the exhange at that time, total tax of 35% of $184).
My main concern here is when one sends gift/product of higher amount you will face problem at the TIA about how it was bought. Where did the $ come from? They do not make it easier even if it is sent by someone here in the US who is earning. Reason-- A lot of business could do the same thing.
If the tax laws are clear, TIA customs are not "GHUSHKHOR", I am more than willing to pay the taxes. But asking Rs 5600 as custom duty/tax for a $5 product or Rs 2000 as GHUSH is not accpetable.
You can be as RIGHTOUS in your words as you can but when it comes to action its not easy.
As a business person if you try and defy the "GHUSH" codes at any customs office you can say goodbye to your business. You can defy once but the next time you have to deal with the same person. I have had numerous personal experience. So don't sit here and talk all the talk, send anything worth over $100 and see what happens.
Am I against GHUSH? Yeah cent percent!
Will I stop paying GHUSH? Can't help it, I will have to, or I rather get out of the business.
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| krishna |
Posted
on 07-Mar-02 11:11 AM
?,
i think you are falsely connecting equating taking advantage of loopholes with corruption. corruption tends to be illegal, while loopholes mean that legal provisions have gaps in them that allow people do things that are not covered by the law but are still LEGAL, unless they violate some other applicable law(s). good luck in finding that loophole, taat, as changing the existing, applicable law(s) would probably be a much more difficult task.
btw, the whole problem starts not when people don't want to pay exorbitant import fees and BRIBES. it starts with bad legislation/regulations enacted by bad people and implemented by bad people. my gut tells me that more people wouldn't have such reservations about the current system if they knew that a bad law was passed by good people and implemented by good people, and that they got something valuable and useful to them and nepali society in general in return for their taxes.
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