KATHMANDU, March 8: The government has made it clear that public-sector trading enterprises have adequate stocks of some essential goods to meet demand for at least  six months. 

Amid concerns about possible shortages of essential items such as cooking gas (LPG), food grains  and salt, the government has said that the trading entities  have maintained sufficient stocks for three to six months. 

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies  said that there is no reason for the public  to be panicked by speculation about  shortages of essential goods because of fears of  the new coronavirus. 

The ministry has  urged the public to refrain from unnecessary hoarding as this will only  affect the supply situation.   

Government officials also say that they have intensified market monitoring and cracking down on black marketing and  those responsible for  artificial shortages . 

Food Management and Trading Company Ltd (FMTCL), the government-owned trading company, maintains a stock of 25,669 tons of rice across the country. This is adequate to meet  demand for three months, according to the ministry. 

Consumers have been buying up food items such as rice  along with other essentials amid the speculation about shortages.

There are also complaints about black marketing and artificial price hikes by  retailers . 
The demand for face masks and sanitizers has  surged and there is  a rise in the prices of other essentials, given the government’s weak monitoring, according to consumer rights activists. 

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said that its storage capacity can meet the demand for diesel, petrol and aviation fuel for at least nine days. The government-owned oil company said that the private sector which imports LPG has enough storage capacity for supplying cooking gas for seven days. 

Following a rise in the demand for cooking gas as consumers rush to stock up on the cylinders, the NOC  said that it has now increased the supply. According to it, arrangements have been made  to supply 45,000 tons of LPG in the market from this month. The average monthly demand is 38,000 tons . 

Similarly, the Salt Trading Corporation Ltd (STCL) has  maintained a buffer stock of 136,000 tons of salt. This  is enough to meet the demand for at least six months. More salt that is  being imported is also on the way and this is enough to meet the demand of 10 months, according to the ministry. 
There are also enough stocks of sugar in the market as well as at the STCL.  Sugar mills have stocks of 101,000 tons of sugar while  STCL has 10,000 tons .

 
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