Import of Two-wheelers Dips for the First Time in Five Years

According to the data provided by the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), the imports of two-wheelers has dipped significantly in this fiscal year. It is the first time in five years that Nepal has had a decrease in the number of import of two-wheelers.The number of imports of two-wheelers in the last five fiscal years shows a steady decrease up till the last fiscal year of 2017-18. In the fiscal year 2013-14, the number stood at 163,645, in 2014-15 it rose to 196,383, in 2015-16 it continued to rise to 267,439. In 2016-17, the numbers grew to 354,071 which dropped to 341,623 in the fiscal year 2017-18. Although the number has decreased, two-wheelers still have the largest number of the different categories of vehicles.

Auto dealers have blamed the unfavorable policy of the government towards the automobiles sector to be the cause of the decreasing numbers. Anjan Shrestha, former president of the Nepal Automobiles Dealer’s Association (NADA), informed that the government had been restricting the growth of automobiles in the country citing various reasons. He said that the logic of the government was at fault which has resulted in hampering the growth of automobiles in the country.