Flood-Damaged EVs Worth Rs. 8.86 Crore Remain Abandoned At Timure Customs For Over A Year As Total Import Damage Reaches Rs. 70.51 Crore

KATHMANDU — Eleven electric vehicles worth Rs. 8.86 crore have remained abandoned at the Timure Customs Office in Rasuwa for nearly a year after being damaged in the Lhende River flood on Asar 24, 2082, as the importer has not paid customs duty or begun the process required for auction.

The vehicles were buried and damaged during the flood that hit the Rasuwagadhi border area. Since the vehicles are no longer sellable in normal condition, importer CG Motors has reportedly not shown interest in taking them from customs.

Customs Duty Still Unpaid

According to Chandi Raj Gelal, a Nayab Subba at the Rasuwa Customs Office, 10 of the abandoned vehicles are Xpeng G6 electric cars with a market value of Rs. 8.49 crore.

The importer would have to pay around 40 percent of the market value, or about Rs. 3.39 crore, as customs duty to take the vehicles. One electric van worth Rs. 37 lakh has also been left abandoned.

Auction Process Stuck

Gelal said the vehicles were left in the same condition they were in during the flood because of insurance-related claims.

Customs officials said they cannot proceed with auction or disposal until the importer formally writes to the government explaining that the damage was caused by a natural disaster.

After such a letter, customs can bring in a mechanical engineer to assess the vehicles and then move toward the auction process. However, officials said no such process has started yet.

Flood Caused Rs. 70.51 Crore Damage

The Lhende River flood caused damage to imported vehicles and goods worth Rs. 70.51 crore in total.

According to customs details, 56 electric and fuel vehicles were swept away in the flood. Their estimated value was Rs. 47.12 crore.

CG Motors suffered the highest vehicle damage, with 40 vehicles worth Rs. 33.03 crore affected by the flood. Of them, 30 vehicles worth Rs. 24.53 crore were among the damaged stock, while 10 vehicles worth Rs. 8.49 crore were completely destroyed.

Other Importers Also Affected

The flood also swept away eight vehicles of Skywell Motors worth Rs. 6.99 crore.

Similarly, five trucks imported by Spark Pvt. Ltd. worth Rs. 4.48 crore and three trucks imported by Evergreen Energy and Investment Pvt. Ltd. worth Rs. 2.25 crore went missing in the flood.

A separate electric van worth Rs. 37 lakh was later found damaged.

Except for Skywell vehicles, the vehicles of other brands were insured, according to the details.

Goods Vehicles Also Damaged

The flood also damaged goods-carrying vehicles and cargo worth Rs. 28.62 crore.

Of that, goods worth Rs. 24.47 crore and vehicles worth Rs. 4.19 crore were damaged.

The abandoned vehicles at Timure have now become a visible example of how disaster-damaged imports can remain stuck at customs when insurance claims, customs duty, ownership responsibility and auction procedures are not resolved on time.

Source and Credit: Nepal Photo Library