All commercial fuel stations in Nepal have agreements with NOC to sell only fuel distributed by NOC, which has held a monopoly in fuel imports. Any other fuel importer -- even after they get an import license -- have to manage a new set fuel stations to sell to the public.
"Birat's proposal has entered to a process," a DoS official told Republica, adding: "A meeting will soon be called, consisting of DoS and NOC officials, to decide on this proposal."
Birat had asked also DoS permission to allow it to sell its imported petrol at Rs 155 per liter and had urged the department to create a distribution mechanism for its fuel. Birat Petroleum brought in its second lot of petrol -- 132.665 kiloliters -- to Nepal and wants to sell it at the much higher rate of Rs 155 per liter. Petrol imported by NOC is priced at Rs 99 per liter in the market.
Some officials of the Ministry of Supplies (MoS) have even accused NOC of not using its full capacity to bring in fuel as it wants to compel consumers to purchase Birat's petrol. "A game is on to maintain a fuel crisis in the market and compel consumers to purchase fuel at higher rates," an MoS official, who did not want to be named, said.
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