Kathmandu, December 22

The government today formed a Central Monitoring Committee to address issues of black marketing across the country.

The committee, which is chaired by Minister for Supply Deepak Bohara, comprises market inspectors from the ministry itself, Nepal Police personnel, and consumer rights activists, among other stakeholders.

Formed under the Consumer Protection Act, 1998, the committee will be responsible to take necessary actions to control activities of black marketing across the country and constantly monitor the market.

“The monitoring committee will take necessary decisions to control market anomalies across Nepal for next two years,” said MoS Spokesperson Surya Shrestha, adding the committee will also be responsible to ensure regular supply of food commodities in the market, control arbitrary price hike and control artificial shortage of essentials.

The government will form different sub-committees under the main committee to look after specific sectors in the market. The committee will also set up monitoring teams outside the Kathmandu Valley in coordination with chief district officers (CDOs) in different districts.

Currently, the Department of Supply Management and Consumer Protection and Department of Food Technology and Quality Control are monitoring the market both independently and on a joint basis to control market anomalies. However, the government monitoring has been criticised for not being result-oriented.

President of Consumers’ Right Investigation Forum Madhav Timalsina, who is also a member of the monitoring committee, said that the newly formed committee will deploy its network across the country to control black marketing activities.

The newly formed committee will leave no stone unturned to control black marketing activities, he said.