Birgunj: The import of petroleum products via Birgunj transit, the country’s major transit point, has significantly increased this year as compared to the previous year.

The import during the first six months of the current fiscal year is more by 1007,690 liters of petro products worth Rs 33.48 billion than the corresponding period last year.

The transit recorded the import of 700,835 liters of petro products: diesel, petrol, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel worth Rs 31.89 billion in the first six months of last fiscal year (2020-21) and the amount jumped to Rs. 65. 37 billion in the current fiscal year.

The import is an increase by 144 percent while the price of the fuel imported also recorded a rise by 144 per cent. It may, however, be noted that the import of fuel had been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus last year with industry, trade, transport and development construction sectors badly affected. These sectors did not suffer much of an impact this year, giving rise to the import of petroleum products, said Information Officer at the Customs Office Sumit Gupta.