KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 19
The National Consumer Forum (NCF) has urged the government to take necessary steps immediately to provide some relief to consumers who are having to face food shortages and pay hefty prices for essential items during this festive season.
According to the forum, the government's failure to maintain the supply and control prices of sugar and rice despite the onset of Dashain and upcoming Tihar festivals, which are the major festivals of Nepalis, has led to shortage of sugar and steep increase in its price. This is despite the fact that the forum had drawn the attention of the government authorities to these issues and provided suggestions as well.
"A kilo of sugar at present is priced as high as Rs 150 and common consumers have to queue for hours to procure them, which have made the daily lives of common consumers difficult as the related ministry has delayed the process in taking action," a press statement released by the forum reads.
Stating that various attempts made by the Nepal government to remove the export restrictions imposed by India on food items including sugar and rice have failed, the forum has requested the government to create a suitable environment and provide concessions for the Nepali private sector to solve the problems seen in supply.
As the forum has deemed the shortage of sugar and rice will get more acute in the coming months, and as the government's initiatives to resolve the issues seen at present is insufficient, the forum has also suggested the government to make arrangements to issue import licences to domestic industries that want to import sugar from abroad considering that it is being supplied to the market through illegal channels, which have contributed to their price hike.
The forum has also called on the government to provide special subsidies to public institutions to import sugar, rice, pulses, oil, and other food items or to give exemptions from customs duties to manage the supply and control prices.
The forum has also requested the government to invite the private rice mills to import at least one million metric tonnes of rice from abroad at a discount price and invite private flour mills to import at least five million metric tonnes of wheat at a discount price to resolve the market issues as well as provide them more freedom and autonomy for regular supply management, storage and distribution of daily necessities.
Also, as the fair price shops are operated in urban areas and only for a very limited period which does not seem to have a positive effect on the consumers, the forum has suggested allowing the local governments to operate such fair price shops.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 20, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
