The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has started selling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) directly from its Teku office in Kathmandu in response to growing consumer complaints over cooking gas shortages in the market.
According to a public notice issued by the state-owned corporation, LPG sales began on Saturday and will continue daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The initiative is intended to improve consumer access to cooking gas, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, where demand remains high.
The NOC is currently selling LPG cylinders supplied by Nepal Gas, HP Gas, Everest Gas, Sugam Gas and Shreeram Gas. Consumers using other LPG brands, however, may not be able to obtain refilled cylinders through the corporation’s outlet.
The corporation said it introduced the direct distribution system after receiving numerous complaints from consumers struggling to purchase cooking gas from local dealers. Many consumers have reported waiting several weeks to obtain a single LPG cylinder despite regular imports.
Although the NOC maintains that national LPG imports remain sufficient to meet overall demand, it acknowledges ongoing distribution challenges. Rather than tightening market regulation, the corporation has opted to directly supply gas from its own outlet to ease shortages.
The NOC has also urged consumers who are unable to purchase cooking gas from local distributors to contact the corporation so that appropriate action can be taken to address supply issues.
