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🇳🇵 Nepal /Energy & Infrastructure

Gas shortages reported after Nepal Oil resumes sale of full cylinders

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Consumers in Nepal are struggling to find cooking gas cylinders despite assurances of normal supply from the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).
  • Retailers are suspected of hoarding full cylinders while selling remaining half-filled ones, leading to shortages and inflated prices.
  • The NOC expects the supply situation to stabilize within a week to 10 days as the market adjusts to the resumption of full cylinder distribution.

Consumers across Nepal are facing difficulties obtaining cooking gas cylinders, with many unable to find replacements despite the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry asserting that supplies are normal.

I have another empty cooking gas cylinder at home. I have been trying to get it refilled for the past few weeks, without success. I am really worried.

— Chandrakala PaudelA homemaker from Imadol describing her difficulty in obtaining a cooking gas cylinder.

Homemaker Chandrakala Paudel from Imadol expressed her worry about running out of her half-filled cylinder, having failed to secure a refill for weeks. Pradeep Mahara, a student from Kirtipur, spent a full day searching for a cylinder, encountering local shops that were even demanding an extra 400 Nepali rupees. While Mahara eventually found a cylinder at the official price, his experience highlights the widespread struggle.

The local grocery shops said there was a shortage. They even asked for an extra Rs400.

— Pradeep MaharaA student from Kirtipur detailing his experience searching for a cooking gas cylinder.

Manoj Kumar Thakur, deputy director of the NOC, suggested that retailers might be hoarding the newly resumed 14.2 kg cylinders while selling off remaining half-filled ones. He stated that the market switched back to full cylinders on July 15, after a period of distributing 7.1 kg cylinders due to panic buying earlier in the year. Monthly consumption, which was around 32,000 to 33,000 tonnes during the 7.1 kg distribution, has now seen demand exceed 45,000 tonnes with the return to 14.2 kg cylinders, indicating potential hoarding.

There is no problem on the supply side. When 7.1 kg cylinders were being distributed, monthly consumption was around 32,000 to 33,000 tonnes. Now, even 45,000 tonnes is not enough after the return to 14.2 kg cylinders. This shows there is unnecessary hoarding.

— Manoj Kumar ThakurDeputy director of the Nepal Oil Corporation explaining the potential reasons for the shortage.

Thakur anticipates that the supply situation will normalize within a week to 10 days as consumers receive their 14.2 kg cylinders and the market stabilizes. Industry Minister Gauri Kumari Yadav also affirmed that current LPG supplies are sufficient, attributing the pressure on the supply chain to panic buying and warning of action against those creating artificial shortages.

Once consumers receive 14.2 kg cylinders, the supply situation will return to normal. It may take a week to 10 days for the market to stabilise.

— Manoj Kumar ThakurDeputy director of the Nepal Oil Corporation predicting when the gas shortage might end.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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