Rasuwa: The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung checkpoint in Rasuwa district, one of the major trade points with China, will be reopened in a full-fledged way from Monday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

The checkpoint remains closed since the Chinese Spring Festival and subsequent Lhosar festival in Nepal, Spokesperson for MoFA, Sewa Lamsal told the National News Agency (RSS). According to her, the Chinese side has already agreed to bring back into operation the trade point that has remained closed since February 11 this year. The resumption may differ by a day or two owing to technical reasons, added Lamsal.

Rasuwa district has been COVID-19 free and all the staffers at the Customs Office, Rasuwagadhi including 35 container drivers, 15 labourers and a team of security personnel have already been vaccinated, shared Ramprasad Regmi, chief of Customs Office, Rasuwagadhi.

The Nepali side had a hard time convincing the Chinese side that there were no health risks in Nepal due to the coronavirus infection, said Regmi over the telephone.

The checkpoint fetches over Rs 20 million of revenue on a daily basis. It was completely shut down from February 10, 2020 to July 11 the same year following the outbreak of the coronavirus infection. The checkpoint was open for one-way trade traffic thereafter and five containers were allowed to enter the Nepal side on a daily basis, according to Regmi.