Fair price shops to open from Sept 23

The government is planning to open fair price shops at 42 locations across the country for the upcoming festive season.

Like in past years, these shops will start operating from Sept 23, targeting the Dashain festival, and will remain open until the Chhath festival.

Three government entities—Salt Trading Corporation, Food Management and Trading Company, and Dairy Development Corporation—will jointly operate these fair price shops.

Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, announced on Tuesday that preparations for the fair price shops were underway. Speaking at the meeting of the National Assembly, Minister Bhandari said the government was making necessary arrangements to prevent shortages of essential items like rice and sugar during the festive season.

“We are preparing to operate fair price shops from September 23, targeting the festive season,” Bhandari said. “These shops will offer discounts on essential items.”

According to Bhandari, consumers can avail themselves of a discount of Rs 5 per kg on rice, Rs 7 per kg on Marsi rice, quinoa, foxtail millet, beans, tartary buckwheat, and naked barley, Rs 5 per kg on wheat and lentils, Rs 7 per liter/kg on oil and ghee, Rs 10 per kg on DDC ghee, as well as on live goats.

Minister Bhandari said the government was taking the necessary measures to lower the price of imported goods as well. “We are also planning to import sugar at a 15 percent reduced price. We won’t let any food item be in short supply during the festive season,” he told ApEx.

The government is providing a 50 percent customs duty waiver to the Food Management and Trading Company and Nepal Salt Trading Corporation to import 30,000 tons of sugar for the festive season.

Bhandari said the government is committed to preventing supply chain disruptions and artificial shortages that could lead to price hikes. He also mentioned that the government would conduct about 4,000 rigorous market inspections across the country. “We’ve already sealed about 100,000 kg of sugar in warehouses,” he said.

Minister Bhandari added that the government plans to intervene in the market to prevent artificial shortages, stop adulteration, control price hikes, and confiscate goods that haven’t gone through customs points.

Govt to form Consumer court

The government has begun preparations to set up a consumer court. Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister Bhandari said the process of establishing the consumer court has already begun.

A meeting of the Commerce Council, chaired by Minister Bhandari on Monday, decided to form the consumer court within a week. “The government has set aside a budget of Rs 10m to set up the consumer court,” he added.

Secretaries from various ministries and consumer rights advocates attended the meeting, according to Minister Bhandari.