Kathmandu, March 28

The Ministry of Supplies (MoS) is gearing up to develop a system to keep tabs on production, supply and consumptions by developing a software-based system called Supply Management Information System (SMIS) from next fiscal year.

The move comes at a time when lack of database regarding production, stock, import and consumption of daily essentials has been hindering establishment of effective and efficient supply situation.

The SMIS will be updated with the real-time data of production, stock, import and consumption of daily essentials and it will also analyse the market price of daily essentials by collecting reference price from the market, according to Nava Raj Dhakal, joint secretary at the MoS.

MoS plans to develop the system in view of the recent months-long disruptions in supply lines from India. As supply from India was disrupted due to the border blockade, the local traders here started creating artificial shortage of goods and hiked the prices rampantly.

“If we had the database on production, stock and import, we’d have been able to intervene in the market,” Dhakal said.

Though border blockade was officially withdrawn by the agitating political parties nearly two months ago, normalcy in the market is yet to be restored.

“One of the basic principles of the free market economy is promotion of competition to safeguard the consumers because competition itself regulates the price and quality of goods and services,” Dhakal said, adding maintain the database will help the authorities to intervene when necessary and discourage ill-practices like black-marketing.

The SMIS will maintain data on production, import and stock of rice, lentils, medicine, sugar, salt, petroleum products, among others. As per MoS, information will be collected from Ministry of Agricultural Development, Department of Customs, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, etcetera.

Similarly, the MoS will launch the Consumer Rights Awareness Campaign in all 75 districts with participation of local governments, civil society organisations and private sector, among others.

Minister for Supplies Ganesh Man Pun has instructed officials to launch the

campaign to disseminate information and make consumers aware of consumer protection laws and grievances hearing mechanism of the government.

The government has given authority for market monitoring at central level to Department of Supply Management and Consumer Protection, while at the district level, chief district officer has been authorised to conduct market monitoring.

The awareness campaign will make consumers more conscious, which is the most effective tool to protect consumer’s right, said Dhakal.

Consumers urged not to panic

KATHMANDU: Dismissing the rumour of shortage of fuel in the near future, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) ramped up the supply of petrol to 600,000 litres in the Kathmandu Valley on Monday to cater to the increased demand. After the signing of Transit Transport Agreement with China, baseless rumours that India will cut the supply of petroleum products started circulating in the market. NOC has said that the rumours are ‘baseless’ and may have been spread by black-marketeers of fuel. “Indian Oil Corporation has, in fact, increase the supply, therefore, consumers need not panic,” said Mukunda Prasad Ghimire, spokesperson for NOC. Another rumour about looming shortage of fuel because transporters have gone on strike has also been dismissed as false. Khageshwor Bohara, chairman of Federation of the Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs, has said that transporters have not called any strike.