Import bill reflects power outage impact

Load-shedding reflects in the country's import bill too.
The country's import list shows that import of dry cell is going up. Similarly, petroleum products are the largest import of the country.
Nepal imported 647.3 per cent higher dry cell battery in the first five months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period last fiscal year, the central bank's data revealed. Petroleum products’ import tops the country’s import chart in terms of money spent on the import.
The country imported Rs 23.67 billion worth petroleum products, 56 per cent more than the same period last fiscal year, from India. In the first five months of the last fiscal year, the country had imported Rs 15.17 billion worth of petroleum products. However, in the first five months of the fiscal year 2008-09, Nepal imported Rs 19.11 billion worth of petroleum products. "Similarly, the country has imported 445 per cent more cement, 396.5 per cent more fruits and 203.8 per cent higher pipe and pipe fittings in the first five months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period last fiscal year," according to the central bank.
Similarly, vehicles and spare parts come second in the import list with the country importing Rs 10.88 billion worth of vehicles and spare parts in the first five months of the current fiscal year from India. In the same period Nepal had imported Rs 10.50 billion worth of vehicles and spare parts against imports of vehicles and spare parts worth Rs 5.93 billion in the five months of the fiscal year 2008-09.
The country has imported a total of Rs 104.40 billion worth of goods from India in the period against Rs 82.12 billion worth import in the same period last fiscal year, according to the central bank’s data.
Similarly, the country has imported Rs 49.87 billion worth goods from abroad – except India – against Rs 71.26 billion in the same period in the last fiscal year.
The central bank data revealed that amount-wise, Nepal imported crude palm oil worth Rs 3.85 billion, followed by telecommunication equipments and parts worth Rs 3.21 billion, computer and parts worth Rs 2.99 billion, electronic goods worth Rs 2.83 billion, and transport equipments and parts worth Rs 2.18 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year.
Amazingly, gold – the second most imported commodity in the last fiscal year – import stood around 25 times less at Rs 1.33 billion, against the last fiscal year’s first five months import of Rs 25.54 billion.

Overall top five imports in the fiscal year 2009-10
1. Petroleum products -- Rs 53.24 billion
2. Gold -- Rs 41.63 billion
3. Vehicles & Spare parts -- Rs 23.77 billion
4. Other machinery parts -- Rs 15.88 billion
5. M S Billet -- Rs 14.32 billion