Four state-owned entities — Salt
Trading Corporation, National Trading Limited, Nepal Food Corporation, and
Dairy Development Corporation — have opened fair price shops targeting the
upcoming Dashain and Tihar festivals.
Secretary at the ministry of
commerce and supplies Lal Mani Joshi today inaugurated the shops in a programme
organised here in the capital.
A total of 10 outlets were opened
today in the Kathmandu valley, said spokesperson at the ministry Deepak Subedi,
adding that the government will open similar shops in 22 remote and hilly
districts.
"The fair price shops will
sell daily essentials such as rice, pulse, flour, ghee, milk products, sugar
and edible oil at subsidised rates," he said.
These four entities have been
opening fair price shops for the last few years during the festive season to
provide essential goods at reasonable rates since the price of essentials
normally increase during the festive season.
Despite government repeated
promises the consumers have been forced to pay higher prices.
The rate of increase in general
price level has reached a two year high at 11.9 per cent in the first month of
the current fiscal year due to failure of monetary measures to crack whip on
rising inflation.
The year-on-year inflation, as
measured by the consumer price index, increased by 11.9 per cent in mid-August
2012, as compared to 7.7 per cent in the same period of last year, according to
the central bank.
Similarly, consumers have been
paying more than the government prescribed Maximum Retail Price as there is no
indication of MRP in the market. The government's failure in market monitoring
has left consumers without any choice than to pay higher price before the
festive season.
No comments:
Post a Comment