May 13: Activities in the industrial and commercial centers have started to increase after the government announced to allow some industries and businesses to operate amid lockdown.

At the meantime, the government has restricted all movements other than shipments of goods through the border until May 31 to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from spreading.

However, the concerned bodies are indifferent towards the risk of infection among the employees working at the checkpoints to facilitate import and export and the service seekers.

In such situation, Birgunj Customs Office had requested the Customs Department to make arrangements for the inspection of imported goods through electronic means to reduce the direct contact between the employees and the service seekers.

It has been two weeks since the customs office wrote the letter requesting arrangements for the check pass through online system but it has not received any response.

Both the Birgunj Dry Port and Biratnagar Customs had urged the department to make such arrangements.

The customs department has not yet taken any decision on the request from its subordinate offices.

However, Article 89 (D) of the Customs Act 2064 has a provision that the documents forwarded electronically through an authorised ID is considered as signed by the customs official even if it does not bear the signature.

The customs offices have suggested the department to implement this legal provision to reduce the direct contact between the staffers and the service seekers at the checkpoints to stop the contagion.