Korala border customs revenue surges as cargo diverts from closed crossings
Summary
Cargo traffic through Korala in Mustang has surged after floods closed the Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani crossings with China, pushing customs revenue sharply higher. But poor roads, power cuts and slow internet are making the temporary border operation costly and difficult to manage.
Key Points
- Cargo diverted from Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani has pushed daily container clearances at Korala to around 50 a day.
- Mustang Customs collected Rs1.5 billion between August 27 and September 10, compared with Rs520 million up to August 26.
- Transporting a container through Korala now costs about Rs750,000, roughly 15 times more than via Rasuwagadhi or Tatopani.
- Authorities say electricity, internet and other infrastructure problems remain major hurdles at the border point.
