KATHMANDU: The Nepal Ministry of Commerce has sent a proposal to China regarding the process of purchasing petroleum products as per the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries.
An agreement to import petroleum products to Nepal from China and constructing depots at three places was signed during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China in April this year. During a meeting on Monday, Minister of Commerce and Supplies Ganeshman Pun said that they have formed a taskforce and sent the report to the Foreign Ministry, regarding importing petroleum products from Beijing. The government has made a plan to import 33 per cent of total demand of the petroleum products from China, reports the Kathmandu Post.
Pun said that a discussion would be held through diplomatic channel as issues related to tax and transport are still unclear in the report. At the meeting, Managing Director of the Nepal Oil Corporation Gopal Bahadur Khadka said that the process for purchasing 450 gas bullets has also been forwarded and that upgrading and reconstruction task of depots was underway.
Also, Chairman of the Consumer Welfare Protection Forum, Jyoti Baniya, and Chairman of the National Consumers Forum, Premlal Maharjan, demanded action against those creating artificial shortage of the petroleum products and promoting black marketing in the name of disruption of Narayangadh-Muglin road section.
