Import Ban Extended Till December 15

The government has extended the ban on the import of private vehicles and motorcycles above 150cc till December 15, 2022.The ban on the import of ten types of consumer goods including motorcycles above 250cc and petrol/diesel cars was enforced from April 27, 2022. In a rather bolder move, the government added two-wheelers above 150cc to the import ban list from July 17, 2022.NADA has been continuously requesting the government to ease the ban on the import of private vehicles and motorcycles. The governing body of automobile dealers in Nepal has been continuously requesting the government to ease the ban on the import of private vehicles and motorcycles. However, the import ban has been extended time and again citing the depleting foreign exchange reserves.Although the share of automobiles in the country's growing trade and balance of payments deficit is very small, its revenue contribution is massive.  According to the data shared by the NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal (NADA), the import of private vehicles such as cars, jeeps and vans is less than 1 percent (Rs 17 billion only) of the country's total imports. However, the contribution from this sector is almost more than double (Rs 39 billion). In a nutshell, the automobile sector of Nepal contributes nearly 25 percent to the country's total tax revenue.