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Tue, December 24, 2024

Government slashes Rs 20 per litre in petrol, Rs 29 in diesel

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KATHMANDU: The government has decided to slash the price of petroleum products. A cabinet meeting held today decided to reduce Rs 20 per litre in petrol and Rs 29 in diesel, shared Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu at a press conference. According to him, with the new decision coming into effect, a litre of petrol will cost Rs 179 and diesel Rs 163. The new price decision will come into effect from today midnight. "This is the decision of today's meeting of the Council of Ministers. The decision was taken acting on the recommendations," Minister Badu noted. The excessive hike in the petroleum product price hit hard the people's life, he said, adding the decision was taken to slash the price so as to give respite to the common people. The price was slashed with an intention to render relief to the people even by reducing the tax that has been imposed on petroleum products. "The new measure will moderately render relief to the people. However, this is not a permanent solution",
Market monitoring to be made effective The government has decided to make market monitoring effective so as to control prices and avoid shortage of daily commodities. Minister Badu said the price control will be tightened through effective market monitoring in coordination with federal, provincial and local governments. The Minister urged the business community to reduce the price of all consumptive goods in the market to cooperate government in its bid to render relief to the people. Those found fleecing customers in the consumptive goods illegally will be brought to book, he said, calling for support from the media and consumers to that end. In view of people marred by the increasing price of petroleum products fuelled by price hike in the international market, the government has decided to decrease their price in Nepal to some extent in a bid to give some respite to people, said minister Badu. This followed the directive issued by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to readjust price of petroleum products to give relief to people, he added. To that end, a meeting of top leaders of the ruling coalition held on Saturday under leadership of PM Deuba took the decision. The meeting was attended by the secretary of the respective ministries and high-ranking officials of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) — the state-owned enterprise that imports, stores and distributes petroleum products. To decrease consumption of petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the government will encourage the use of electric cooktops and electric vehicles, said minister Badu in the meantime. Provisions related to encouraging the use of electric appliances and vehicles in the budget will be implemented acting on recommendation by a high-level taskforce formed under the leadership of National Planning Commission Vice-chairman Biswo Nath Poudel. Government offices will use electric vehicles while fuel-run old and heavy vehicles will be converted into electric ones. To reduce supply of petroleum products, steps will be taken through advice of experts and learning from practices in other countries, said the minister, adding NOC will be made robust and effective by acting on advice from the taskforce. READ ALSO:
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