The recurring shortage of LPG cooking gas has once again exposed serious weaknesses in Nepal's fuel supply and distribution system. Consumers are again forced to stand in long queues with empty cylinders, while many households are left with no option but to cook with electricity or buy gas at inflated prices through informal channels. Such a situation is unacceptable for an essential household commodity. The government must act immediately to ensure the smooth supply of LPG, crack down on hoarding and artificial shortages, and strengthen the distribution system to prevent this crisis from becoming an annual ritual. Since the import and distribution of petroleum products remain under the monopoly of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the ultimate responsibility for ensuring a reliable supply rests with the government. Yet while consumers struggle to find cooking gas, the government and the NOC continue to insist there is no shortage. This disconnect between official claims and public experience only undermines trust. If supplies are indeed adequate, the government must explain why thousands of consumers cannot obtain cylinders when they need them.
The use of LPG has grown rapidly as households shifted away from firewood, but the supply and distribution system has failed to keep pace. Every year, the market experiences one or two episodes of severe shortages. Authorities routinely blame consumers for stockpiling cylinders instead of addressing structural flaws. While some households keep an extra cylinder as a precaution, people do not stockpile essential goods without reason. Repeated shortages have encouraged such behavior. The government should focus less on blaming consumers and more on fixing a distribution system that repeatedly fails them. The NOC has often attributed shortages to hoarding or unused cylinders in households, but such explanations are no longer convincing. The repeated recurrence of shortages points to weaknesses in planning, inventory management and distribution. Gas bottling companies also share responsibility for ensuring timely and equitable supply. If distributors, dealers or individuals are found hoarding cylinders or deliberately creating artificial shortages for profit, the government must take swift legal action. Essential commodities should never become tools for speculation. Nepal depends entirely on imported LPG, making it vulnerable to external shocks. While international conflicts and supply disruptions are beyond the country's control, poor preparation is not. Until Nepal reduces its dependence on imported petroleum products, the government must maintain adequate strategic reserves and expand storage capacity where necessary.
Fine hoarders, fix the supply chain system
The proposed cylinder-mapping system should be implemented without further delay. It would help track cylinders, reduce leakages, curb black marketing and ensure fairer distribution. Likewise, assigning clear geographic responsibilities to bottling companies and simplifying cylinder exchanges could significantly improve efficiency. If the government's claim that imports are sufficient is true, an effective mapping system should quickly identify bottlenecks and malpractice. In the long run, Nepal must reduce its dependence on LPG by promoting electric cooking and other clean energy alternatives. Ironically, the government's decision to impose VAT on electricity sends the wrong signal when electrification should be encouraged. For now, the government's priorities are clear: ensure adequate market supply, prevent hoarding and black marketing, enforce fair distribution, and hold accountable those responsible for creating artificial shortages. Consumers deserve reliable access to cooking gas, not recurring uncertainty and endless queues. The government must take concrete measures now to ensure this recurring crisis does not return.
