Kathmandu, September 24
The government has prepared short-, medium- and long-term plans to address the shortage of cooking gas and improve the country’s overall petroleum supply system, Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Deepak Kumar Sah said on Thursday.
Responding to questions raised by lawmakers in the National Assembly, Sah said the ministry was working on measures to address the immediate shortage while also developing longer-term solutions to make the supply system more reliable.
As part of the immediate measures, the government has asked the Ministry of Finance to help reduce the time required for customs clearance, while the Ministry of Home Affairs has been asked to help manage road congestion affecting the transportation of cooking gas.
The government has also initiated diplomatic efforts through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to temporarily increase the regular supply of cooking gas from 100 bullets a week to up to 160 bullets, Sah said.
A “bullet” refers to the large tanker used to transport liquefied petroleum gas.
Sah, however, said there was currently no shortage of petrol, diesel or aviation fuel in the country.
He said the government would seek to reduce unnecessary expenditure by making the transportation, storage, distribution and administrative systems more cost-efficient.
The government also plans to improve stock management through a more systematic approach, he said.
Sah said resources were being mobilised under the Price Stabilisation Fund Operating Regulations, 2014 (including amendments) to help stabilise the prices of petroleum products and cooking gas.
According to the minister, the government considers factors including the cost structure, international market prices, exchange rates, taxes and fees when determining petroleum prices.
He said the impact of these factors was being analysed transparently as part of the pricing process.
