Minister Rijal directs for immediate market monitoring

 Kathmandu, Aug. 8

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ramesh Rijal, has directed the subordinate agencies of the ministry to intensify market monitoring immediately.

Addressing a programme on "Price increase in rice and other essential food items, food supply in remote areas and regulation of the market" organised at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Tuesday, instructed all concerned agencies to continue monitoring, prevent price increase in the market, and make the supply system simple, convenient, regular and accessible.

According to him, market monitoring is crucial at this time as the great festival season is approaching shortly. "Execute effective market monitoring activities focusing on the festivals. It is necessary to maintain discipline in the market with necessary cooperation and coordination among the concerned stakeholders," said Minister Rijal.

The programme was attended by secretaries of the MoICS, director generals of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology, Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, joint secretaries of the Ministry and heads of institutions related to supply.

They discussed about the issues related to adequate availability of food during the festival season, food supply system in remote areas and keeping enough stock to ensure food security.

Issues like regular monitoring of the market by joint and thematic teams, making market monitoring more effective with action plans, coordinating and cooperating with all related agencies to control abnormal price increases in the market, supply of essential items and food grains for food security were also discussed by the experts.

Earlier on Friday, August 4, the Department of Commerce handed over the authority to conduct market monitoring to the chief administrative officers of all 753 local bodies. The authority was transferred to the officers via the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.

Director General of the department, Gajendra Kumar Thakur, said that it is necessary to make the marketing monitoring effective as his office has received the compliant of price hike of rise citing the India's restriction on the restriction of rice.

Department's move has come after consumer rights activists pointed to the actue shortage of manpower with it as well as the lack of robust database of goods supply and market monitoring. The government doesn't have a mechanism to collect the price data and maintain the database.

They have been demanding to conduct the monitoring by the three levels of the government. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 9 August 2023.