Non-cooperation would mean forced entry, govt tells traders
KATHMANDU, SEP 07 -
The government has said the police and market inspectors will forcefully break into warehouses of traders if they do not cooperate in its monitoring drive.
After the direction from Prime Minister Babu Ram Bhattarai, the government had intensified market monitoring targeting importers, big traders and wholesale points. However, the Department of Commerce and Supplies has not been able to inspect warehouses and wholesalers business as planned, according the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies.
“We will even break the locks with police’s support to check the stores and take strong action against them if found involved in hoarding,” said Lal Mani Joshi, secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies at a press conference here on Thursday. “Since there is no shortage of commodities in market, the current price hike is artificial, created by traders and wholesalers.”
Last week, a monitoring team deployed by the department visited Kuleshwor area to check whether traders were involved in hoarding essential goods. But the team found most of the warehouses shut. That was the second instance after August 24, in which warehouses in Kuleshwor area were found closed.
Joshi said preparations are also underway to fix maximum retail prices (MRP) of some major essential daily commodities. “Strict inspection will be carried out targeting stores of importers, industrialists and wholesalers,” he said.
On Sunday, a meeting will be held at the Commerce Ministry to fix MRPs of commodities including rice, sugar, pulses, edible oil and salt, according to Joshi. Once MRPs are fixed, no traders will be able to charge extra. However, it is not clear for how long the government-set prices would be practiced in an open market.
Government officials claimed the prices of sugar, rice and vegetable items have declined to some level as an impact of market checks.
Following complaints from consumer rights forums that the sugar price soared due to Salt Trading Corporation’s (STC) alliance with traders, the department last week inspected the STC warehouse and issued an order to furnish details about the billing on the trading of sugar. “We are yet to receive the information sought from STC,” said Narayan Prasad Bidari, director general of the department. “It will have to be sure that it has no relation with the current hike in sugar prices.”
Source: The Kathmandu Post
