Earlier, Seti Cigarette Factory was representing the brand in Nepal. Seti´s partnership with Philips Morris USA - the manufacturer of Marlboro cigarette -- ended in July. [break]
“We stopped partnership with Philips Morris USA in Nepal as we failed to persuade the US firm to open manufacturing plant in Nepal itself,” a source at Seti Cigarette Factory told Republica. “We discontinued the partnership as we don´t want to focus on trading alone.”
Moreover, the source said Seti Cigarette stopped trading of Marlboro cigarettes five months earlier than the contracted period. As per the agreement signed with Philips Morris USA, Seti was supposed to distribute Marlboro cigarettes in Nepal until December, 2013.
Shahil Agrawal, joint managing director of Shankar Group, said Jagadamba Overseas will start distribution of Marlboro cigarette in the Nepali market from next week.
According to him, Shankar Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US firm a couple of months ago. Philips Morris USA has appointed Shanker Group as its authorized distributor for Nepal.
Sources say Marlboro cigarette is in short supply in the market because Seti Cigarette Factory started importing four months ago.
“We will gradually expand our distribution network across the country,” Agrawal said, “The short supply will end once we officially start trading next week.”
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