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Nepal has incurred a trade deficit of about Rs 400bn in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2025/26. According to the foreign trade statistics released by the Customs Department, imports stood at Rs 46bn, while exports amounted to Rs 72.78bn during this period.

This resulted in a trade deficit of Rs 395bn out of a total foreign trade volume of Rs 540bn by October. In the last three months, imports from neighboring India amounted to Rs 258bn and exports amounted to Rs 59bn, resulting in a deficit of Rs 199bn.

Similarly, the trade deficit with China was Rs 14.7bn by October. Imports from China were valued at Rs 14.8bn and exports at only Rs 186m. 

Nepal recorded the highest trade surplus with Denmark, with imports worth just Rs 4m and exports standing at Rs 289m, resulting in a trade gain of Rs 249.8m. Trade surpluses were also recorded with countries like Germany, Romania, Sweden, and Lebanon. 

Among imports, petroleum products topped the list in the last three months. Nepal imported worth Rs 16.78bn, diesel worth Rs 20.69bn, and LP gas worth Rs 13.98bn during this period. Additionally, smartphones worth Rs 13.62bn were imported.

The arson and vandalism carried out during the GenZ protests on Sept 9 caused extensive damage to 29 government offices across Sunsari district, with losses estimated at well over Rs 1.27bon, according to the district administration.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Dharmendra Kumar Mishra said a committee led by Assistant CDO Lokman Shrestha conducted on-site inspections and submitted a detailed assessment of the damage. Mishra said Itahari Sub-metropolitan City has suffered the most. Government offices including the Koshi Province Traffic Police Office, Transport Management Office, Driving License Office, Inland Revenue Office, Revenue Investigation Office, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s (CIAA) Regional Office, and several police units sustained major losses.

The Itahari Sub-metropolitan City offices alone reported damages worth Rs 350m. Other key losses include: Koshi Province Traffic Police Office (Rs 100m), Internal Revenue Office (Rs 110m), Revenue Investigation Office (Rs 117m), Transport Management Office (Rs 100m), Driver’s License Office (Rs 25m), and CIAA Regional Office (Rs 70m).

Similarly, the Area Police Office Itahari suffered damages worth Rs 70m, while the Area Police Office Pokali incurred Rs 20m in losses. Smaller police posts across Khanar, Jhumka, Halgada, Bharaul, and Dharan also reported varying levels of damage. Losses were also recorded in several local government offices as well, including Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality (Rs 89.2m), Koshi Rural Municipality  (Rs 17.3m), Barahakshetra Municipality (Rs 2m), Duhabi Municipality (Rs 46.7m), Ramdhuni Municipality (Rs 12.3m), Gadhi Rural Municipality (Rs 50m), and Inaruwa Municipality (Rs 91m),

CDO Mishra said besides office buildings, there has been extensive damage to files, furniture, computers, and vehicles.  “The state’s property is the people’s property,” he said. “Such acts of burning and vandalism in the name of agitation have harmed not just the administration, but also ordinary citizens.” Mishra added that damage reports have been sent to the provincial and federal governments, and that temporary arrangements are being made to reopen affected offices.

Sunsari Police Chief Keshav Kumar Thebe said that the activities of the lawless group had undermined the rule of law. He added that those involved in vandalizing government property are being identified and will face legal action.

The Koshi Province Traffic Police Office (Highway Safety and Traffic Management Office) in Itahari, destroyed by arson, remains non-operational, creating severe challenges in traffic regulation across the province.

Laxmi Baniya, central member of the Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Organization, said that in a busy city like Itahari, having the main traffic control office inactive has increased vehicle pressure and accident risks.

“Since the fire, we have been operating from the garage of the burnt building and rented rooms. We have no proper place to work or even rest,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepak Giri, head of the Koshi Traffic Office. 

Preparations are underway to temporarily shift the Area Police Office, Itahari, which was also burnt, to the Itahari Stadium area. However, there has been little progress or interest in reconstructing the traffic office. As a result, 78 traffic police officers are struggling—18 of them are forced to sleep in the same room that was burned during the attack, while others have rented private rooms. “We have no proper place to work or rest. We are running operations from the garage of the burnt office,” said SP Giri.

Former Itahari Civil Society President Raju KC has demanded that the government immediately reconstruct and reopen the traffic office. He emphasized that traffic management is a matter of daily public safety, and ignoring it reflects irresponsibility on the part of the concerned authorities.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 239, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 241, 900 per tola on Sunday.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 35 and is being traded at Rs 2, 980 per tola.

Motorized boats have begun operating along the Saptakoshi River, connecting the famous Barahakshetra Temple in Barahakshetra Municipality–1 of Sunsari with Kopche in Hatuwagadhi–9 of Bhojpur. The new service has made religious tourism, local travel, and the sale and transport of agricultural goods much easier for residents on both banks of the river.

The ‘Makalu Motorboat’ has been launched on the Barahakshetra–Kopche route, a section long considered dangerous because of the Saptakoshi’s swift current. The operation, jointly approved by the Sunsari and Bhojpur district administrations, offers locals a safer and faster alternative to traditional crossings.

Sunsari Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra said permission was granted after officials conducted a detailed inspection of the river and found no legal or physical obstacles.

A fare of Rs 500 has been fixed for the approximately six-kilometer journey between Barahakshetra and Kopche. Locals say the new route has significantly reduced both time and cost. “Now we can reach Dharan and Itahari much faster,” said Debhang Rai of Hatuwagadhi. “It has also become easier to take our fruits and vegetables to market and sell them.”

Since the launch of the service, the number of domestic and foreign visitors to Barahakshetra has increased noticeably. Devotees now combine their temple visits with scenic motorboat rides along the Koshi, enjoying both religious rituals and the river’s natural beauty.

Boat operator Anis Thapa said a new and safer route was chosen because of the strong current at Trisule Ghaghi, located upstream of Chatara.

To ensure passenger safety, Chief Police Inspector Divash Kunwar of the Area Police Office, Mahendranagar, said authorities have instructed operators to provide life jackets for every passenger and to maintain strict vigilance during operation.

According to Nawaraj Bist, a resident of Chatara, the motorboat service has not only boosted religious tourism but also invigorated the local economy. “We’re seeing more people in local hotels, shops, and guesthouses. It’s also become easier for pilgrims visiting Barahakshetra to cross the Saptakoshi,” he said.

With the service now in operation, residents from riverbank settlements in Bhojpur, Udayapur, and Dhankuta have started using the motorboats as a convenient new mode of transportation across the Saptakoshi.