Money
Fuel imports remain at just 30pc of demand
Nepal’s petroleum imports have stood at just 30 percent of the demand for the last three months, according to Nepal Oil Corporation’s (NOC) latest data.Nepal’s petroleum imports have stood at just 30 percent of the demand for the last three months, according to Nepal Oil Corporation’s (NOC) latest data.
India imposed an unofficial trade embargo on Nepal two days after the promulgation of the new constitution on September 20, curbing fuel supplies.
The NOC statistics show Nepal received 38,270KL of fuel between mid-September and mid-October, which is just 30 percent of the country’s monthly consumption. The imports further dropped to 38,199KL between mid-October and mid-November. Fuel delivery from NOC’s sole supplier Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in the period between mid-November until Wednesday amounted to 30,055KL.
The monthly requirement of petroleum products (petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel and liquefied petroleum gas) stands at 128,878KL. “The massive fall in petroleum imports resulted in a severe fuel crisis,” said NOC Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka.
IOC has repeatedly be telling NOC the supply disruptions are due to political tensions at border points.
“During our recent telephone conversation, IOC reiterated that it would resume normal fuel supply once the political problems in Nepal are solved,” he said.
Fuel imports started to drop since mid-August after the agitating Madhes-based parties started to obstruct the major Birgunj-Raxaul border point, according to the NOC stats.
The country imported 120,157KL of fuel between mid-August and mid-September. The figure was at 128, 878KL for the period between mid-July and mid-August. The imports for the last 78 days stood at 106,524KL.
As consignments from India started to dwindle, Nepal had turned to China for fuel, signing a framework agreement on October 28 for the first time, breaking India’s supply monopoly. The agreement envisages signing a long-term petroleum imports pact from the north. China had even provided 1,300KL petrol to Nepal in grant. NOC has been importing fuel from IOC for the last four decades.
Cooking gas dealer arrested
KATHMANDU: The police on Friday arrested the proprietor of Raju and Daju Store, a Baneshwor-based cooking gas depot, for hoarding cylinders. During a raid conducted by a joint inspection team of Metropolitan Police Range, New Baneshwor, and the Department of Commerce found the store hoarding 22 LPG cylinders and arrested its owner Raj Kumar
Bhatta of Nuwakot. Deepak Pokharel, an officer at the department, said the shop was supplied with 70 half-filled cylinders for distribution in the area. “However, it sold out only 48 cylinders, hoarding the rest,” he said, adding a case would be filed against Bhatta under the Black-Marketing and Some Other Social Offences and Punishment Act 1975.