Govt to import 20,000 metric tonnes of sugar for festivals

Kathmandu, Sept 20: The government will import 20,000 metric tonnes of sugar targeting upcoming festivals like Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.

A Cabinet meeting held in the second week of September gave permission to the Food Management and Trade Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited to import 10,000 metric tonnes of sugar each on 50 percent custom discounts.

The government aims to intervene to end artificial scarcity of sugar during festivals by resorting to this move, said Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota.

The meeting also formed a nine-member team led by Joint Secretary of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Nawaraj Dhakal to participate in the third meeting to review Nepal-India Trade Treaty, 2009.

It has also been decided upon to recover funds meant for wages for labourers for the Melamchi Drinking Water Project from the respective contractors and approve their payments as relief.