The government’s decision to merge the Birgunj Dry Port Customs Office with the Integrated Check Post (ICP) is finally being implemented—five and a half years after it was first approved by the Cabinet.
Effective from July 17, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year (FY 2025/26), services previously provided separately by the dry port and the ICP will be integrated and operated under the name of Birgunj Customs Office.
Chief Customs Administrator at the ICP, Deepak Lamichhane, confirmed that both customs facilities will operate as a unified entity from the new fiscal year. The Cabinet had originally approved the merger of the two structures in December-January 2019, recognizing that operating three customs points at a single border crossing was unnecessary.
Under this restructuring, the government will bring the dry port under the jurisdiction of Birgunj Customs, while the Friendship Bridge at the Birgunj-Raxaul border point will be limited to passenger processing only.
Chief of the Dry Port Customs Office, Dhan Bahadur Baruwal, said the Department of Customs has formally communicated the decision to dissolve the dry port customs office and shift all services to the ICP from July 17. “This integration aims to facilitate foreign trade more efficiently,” he added.
To support this integration, a Joint Secretary-level post has already been established at Birgunj Customs. It has been nearly seven years since a joint secretary was first deployed to lead operations there in September 2018—a year before the merger decision was made.
Following the unification, three undersecretary-level officers will also be assigned under the leadership of the joint secretary to further streamline customs procedures and enhance trade facilitation.
Meanwhile, uncertainty persists over the acquisition of the 62 bighas of land between the ICP and the dry port. The acquisition process remains incomplete due to pending compensation issues and unresolved valuation of both private land and existing structures. Even after eight years, the dispute over compensation has yet to be resolved.
