Kathmandu, April 26: Nepal’s diesel imports rose sharply last month even after a steep rise in prices driven by global fuel market pressures and tensions in the Middle East.
According to the Department of Customs, the country imported 138,585 kiloliters of diesel between mid-March and mid-April. This is about 26,000 kiloliters higher than the monthly average consumption of 112,056 kiloliters recorded so far in the current fiscal year.
Total diesel imports reached 1,035,033 kiloliters over nine months, up from 896,448 kiloliters by mid-March.
Despite the surge in price, demand did not cool as expected. Domestic diesel prices climbed by Rs 70 per liter during the review period, rising from Rs 167 in mid-March to Rs 237 by the end of the month. Even with this spike, import spending more than doubled, jumping from Rs 10.21 billion to Rs 21.20 billion.
Petrol demand, however, saw a slight decline. Imports stood at 56,459 kiloliters last month, below the earlier monthly average of 63,988 kiloliters. Even so, total spending on petrol still increased, reaching Rs 6.49 billion compared to an earlier monthly average of Rs 5.48 billion.
Revenue collection from petroleum imports also continued. Diesel imports alone generated Rs 42.51 million in revenue, while petrol contributed Rs 32.31 million. The Nepal Oil Corporation estimates a loss of Rs 99.16 per liter on diesel sales.
Amid rising fuel prices and global supply concerns, the government introduced a two-day weekly holiday starting April 5 to cut fuel consumption. However, data from the first 10 days of implementation show limited impact, with consumption trends largely unchanged.
Overall, the figures suggest that higher prices have not yet translated into reduced diesel demand, raising questions about short-term effectiveness of policy measures aimed at curbing fuel use.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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