Ban export of recycled paper, paper mills tell govt

Stating that they were facing shortage of raw materials, paper industries have demanded that the government put a ban on export of recycled paper. Nepal Pulp and Paper Manufacturers Association, the association of paper producing industries, recently registered their demand at the Department of Industry. “It is unfortunate that recycled paper is being exported at a time when we are importing similar paper from India,” Santosh Dahal, manager of Everest Paper Mill, told Republica. Responding to their demand, the DoI has asked paper producing industries to provide it the statistics of their imports and the consumption of local raw materials. The department has also asked paper recycling firms to provide information about their annual export figures to it. Ram Sharan Chimoriya, spokesperson for DoI, said the department is currently studying the demand put forth by the paper industries. “We will soon forward it to the Industrial Promotion Board for final decision,” he added. Saying that the demand for paper mills is logical, Chimoriya said the ban on export of recycles papers can help reduce Nepal´s widening trade deficit. Owners of paper mills say they have not been able to operate to their full capacity due to shortage of raw materials. “We can immediately increase production if we get sufficient recycled paper,” added Dahal. Meanwhile, owners of paper recycling firms have told the department that local paper mills should be ready to pay good price for their products. “Recycling firms have told us that they won´t sell their products to paper mills if they didn´t get good price,” a source at the department told Republica.