Fuel suppliers plan to halt NOC bidding process
KATHMANDU, Dec 31:
Nepal Petroleum Transporters’ Federation (NPTF) has chosen a wrong option to halt the state oil monopoly’s decision to start a tender process for fuel transportation that is expected to reduce transportation cost.
NPTF has started collecting money to ‘bribe’ officials of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and related government agencies, according to the minute of the board meeting of the federation obtained by The Himalayan Times.
“The federation wants a continuity to the existing fuel transportation rate,” the minute reads, adding that it will force the government to stop the implementation of NOC’s decision to introduce a bidding system for fuel transportation.
Federation has been trying to ‘bribe’ NOC officials to raise the transportation rate. Its minute mentioned that it had already collected Rs 1.2 million and is in the process to collect an additional Rs 0.17 million from various locations. The minute clearly reads that the money was collected for ‘fare hike’.
“The federation’s board decision is condemnable,” said consumer rights activist Jyoti Baniya, adding that the federation has been trying to influence NOC management by offering ‘bribes’ to block reform agendas.
“Consumer Rights Protection Forum will file a corruption case against the federation and Nepal Oil Corporation officials as the decision is against the free market economy,” he said.
Nepal Oil Corporation had decided to introduce a bidding system to transport petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation’s depot to Nepal last June.
Immediately after the report of the High Level Committee led by then Constituent Assembly member Bhim Acharya, NOC had requested the Institute of Engineering to carry out a study to implement a scientific fare to import petroleum products.
The corporation had said that it will implement the bidding system in a phase-wise manner. However, the tender system for the transportation of fuel is yet to be implemented. The High Level Committee had also charged the integrity of NOC management saying the system of fixing fuel transport fare was baseless.
“The top brass at NOC are involved in corruption while fixing transportation fare,” the report had said, adding that it had been violating the Public Procurement Act while selecting transporters.
Transport entrepreneurs repeatedly put pressure on the government to hike transport fares, the report had said, blaming politicians and NOC management of protecting them.
The state-oil monopoly has earmarked Rs 2.19 transportation fare on a litre of petrol, diesel, kerosene and Rs 2.24 to transport a litre of Aviation Turbine Fuel from Raxaul to Kathmandu. Similarly, transportation cost for cooking gas is fixed at Rs 105.81 per metric tonne.
Source: THT
