A quintet of agreements has been established between the government and the gas sector.
During a gathering on Tuesday in the assembly room of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply, Secretary Gobinda Bahadur Karki, along with Dr. Chandika Prasad Bhatta, Managing Director of the Nepal Oil Corporation, and representatives from the Nepal Oil Corporation and the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association, concurred on five key points, which include enhancing the gas transportation commission by Rs 12 per cylinder. With the decision to raise the commission, the gas industry’s protests have been called off.
According to the Nepal Oil Corporation, consumers will not face any additional burden from the rise in the commission for industrialists. Manoj Kumar Thakur, spokesperson for the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation, announced that the market price for consumers will remain at Rs 1,910 per cylinder, with the increased amount for industrialists being absorbed as losses in gas.He noted the adjustment of external transport charges, along with internal transport costs and operational and administrative expenses for gas industries, at Rs 12.75. The industrialists had requested an increase of Rs 50 per cylinder, citing challenges in maintaining operations due to a prolonged stagnation of gas commission increases.
The union initiated a protest by halting the purchase order (PDO) for acquiring gas from India since last Sunday, demanding 19 items, including a hike in overhead and profit margins. Consumers faced challenges in obtaining gas in the market owing to the industrialists’ announced protest. President of the Gas Dealer Federation Nepal, Gyaneshwar Aryal, noted that it appears there is a gas shortage in the market, as people are over-consuming in fear of scarcity. Recently, consumers have had to endure lengthy waits to secure gas.
