Kathmandu, October 2
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Deepak Kumar Sah has clarified that market monitoring is not intended to intimidate businesses.
Speaking at a discussion of the National Assembly’s Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee on Friday, Sah said businesses would be fined if irregularities were found during market monitoring, regardless of whether they were government-owned or private.
“Market monitoring is not about intimidating businesses. It is about ensuring fair competition in the market and protecting consumer rights,” he said.
Sah said the law would be applied equally to anyone found violating it.
“Just yesterday, I would like to mention that Salt Trading Corporation Limited was fined Rs 300,000,” he said. “The message is clear. Whether it is a government or private entity, large or small, the law applies equally when consumer interests are compromised.”
Sah said the government was also preparing to conduct market monitoring on a data-driven and risk-based basis.
“We are working to develop a system under which monitoring can be carried out whenever necessary based on information, particularly in areas where there is a higher likelihood of problems,” he said.
Sah also said the government was working to ease the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which he described as one of the most pressing supply-related issues at present.
“The major problem that ordinary citizens have directly experienced recently is the supply of LPG. I have not viewed this issue simply from the perspective of how many gas bullets arrived today,” he said.
“We have viewed the entire supply chain — from gas loading to transportation, storage, refilling and distribution through dealers to consumers’ kitchens — as a single system,” he added.
