Balaji Glass fined 500 percent for customs fraud

KATHMANDU: THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 – The customs has imposed 500 percent on Balaji Glass Pvt. According to the Birgunj Customs Office, the importers have been fined more than Rs Two crore 39 lakh 20 thousand rupees after the size and result of the glass imported by the company differed from the declared customs.

Dr. Lal Bahadur Khatri, Chief of the Customs Office, said that Balaji Gas has been fined in the first phase and further investigation is underway into whether he had committed tax evasion before. “There is a difference in the cost and quantity and type of goods declared by the company at the imported glass customs. Further investigation is underway,” said Khatri, head of the customs office.

According to the customs office, the importers were fined 200 percent for the thickness of the glass with the intention of tax evasion and 300 percent for the import of the glass through different zones. Khatri said that the details could not be disclosed as further investigation is being carried out on the importers.

Balaji imported five mm glass and declared four mm at the customs, said Chudamani Kattel, information officer at the customs office. He also said that 535 square meters more glass was found by the customs enumerator than announced by Balaji. Under the Customs Act, 92 lakh 96 thousand and more than the declared amount of goods were imported on the charge of trying to evade the customs by reducing the glass MM. Kattel informed that a fine of Rs. 1 crore 46 lakh 24 thousand rupees has been imposed.