The government has decided to charge a flat Rs 45 per kg as import duty on betel nuts and scrap the earlier provision of 30 percent customs duty. The policy change under Financial Bill 2014-15 is intended to control rampant smuggling of betel nuts through the eastern border. Earlier, the government had hiked the import duty from 20 percent to 30 percent in an effort to stop the illegal trade, but it was ineffective. Customs Officer Krishna Neupane said that the government’s move was intended to discourage illegal trade and increase revenue.
