June 5: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu has said that a high-level committee would be formed to suggest ways for better managing the demand, supply and distribution chain of petroleum products and for handling economic impacts due to adjustment of prices of petroleum products.    
Responding to the issues raised during the deliberations on a proposal of urgent public importance relating to the reduction of prices of petroleum products in a meeting of the House of Representatives on June 3, the minister said it was decided to form the committee under the convenorship of National Planning Commission vice chair. The committee will advise the government on matters related to restructuring of Nepal Oil Corporation, use of green energy and involvement of private sector in the distribution of petroleum products and so on.    
The minister further said that it was a compulsion for the government to hike the prices of petroleum products following its soaring prices in the international market due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.    
According to the minister, the price of petrol was reduced by Rs 10 per litre despite a loss of Rs 31 per litre as per the price list obtained by the NOC from its supplier on June 1.

“The government is responsible for providing a relief to the consumers,” he said adding that the pricelist of petroleum products was adjusted twice a month not time and again as mentioned in the proposal.    
Informing the house session about the government's plan to launch the use of electric stove as a campaign, the minister assured of the effective implementation of the campaign. -- RSS