KATHMANDU: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Thursday directed the Ministry of Supplies and other concerned agencies to stop private firms from selling petroleum products at higher rates than that of Nepali Oil Corporation (NOC).
The direction from the House panel comes on the heels of criticism from several quarters for allowing Birat Petroleum to sell petrol at Rs 31 higher than the market rate. In the meeting, lawmakers quizzed Minister for Supplies, Ganeshman Pun, Supplies Secretary Shreedhar Sapkota and NOC Managing Director Gopal Khadka over controversies surrounding Birat Petroleum.
The government had allowed private companies to import petroleum products by publishing a notice on Nepal Gazette on October 19 following an unofficial blockade by India. During the meeting, lawmakers accused the government of policy corruption by not mentioning prices of petroleum products to be imported by private companies in the notice. The House panel further directed the ministry and concerned state agencies to control black-marketing.
In the meeting, Minister Pun said that the government is preparing to cancel import licenses of 35 private companies including Birat Petroleum that were allowed to import fuel.
