Linendra Pradhan, president of Nepal Petroleum Dealers Association (NPDA) who is one of the coordinators of the committee, said that motive behind formation of a joint committee by the three players along the value chain of petroleum business was to ensure reforms in petroleum business.[break]
However, Khageshwor Bohara, another coordinator of the committee who also heads Nepal Petroleum Transporters Federation (NPTF), said the committee would also raise voice to get their demands fulfilled.
“We all have long-pending demands with the government. As the government consistently ignored those demands when we pushed them from our respective associations, we would now work to get them fulfilled through this joint initiative,” said Bohara.
Representatives from Nepal LPG Industries Association (NLPGIA) in the committee also said that the government must pay heed to their due demands.
NPDA and NLPGIA have long been seeking the government to raise their commission, which is their profit margin, to at least 5 percent of the retail rates. So far, they have been allowed to take profit worth 3 percent of the retail rates.
That is not all. They have also been asking the government to set aside a fund equivalent to one percent of the total import cost to raise public awareness and promote safety among LPG and petroleum consumers.
They along with NPTF have also been demanding with the government and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to provide third party insurance for the fuel transporters, among others.
If the government fulfilled their demands, that will shift their cost of doing business on government´s shoulder and increase the profit margin. As those costs will eventually be transferred to the customers, general public will be the ultimate victim.
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