Kathmandu, October 16: Consumers can purchase essential food items, including sugar, salt, cooking oil, lentils and rice, at prices lower than market rates from discount outlets operated by Salt Trading Corporation Limited ahead of the festive season.
According to Prajwalman Pradhan, manager of Salt Trading Corporation, the discount outlets will remain operational from September 17 to November 16, in accordance with the government’s directive. He said the outlets were established to ensure that consumers could obtain daily necessities at affordable prices during the festive season.
The corporation is operating 13 sales outlets in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Banepa and Dhulikhel, among other locations. In addition, food items are being sold at discounted prices through offices in 25 other locations across the country, Pradhan said.
According to him, the discount outlets offer rice, cooking oil, lentils, sugar, salt, black pepper, spices, tea leaves, beaten rice, flour, refined flour and other essential commodities.
Under the discounts set by the government, sugar, which normally costs Rs 105 per kilogram in the market, is being sold for Rs 100 at the outlets. Similarly, salt, which costs Rs 26 per kilogram, is available for Rs 24.
Discounts of Rs 7 per kilogram are being offered on lentils, cooking oil, beaten rice, flour, refined flour and other specified products. Rice is being sold at discounts of Rs 25 to Rs 30 per kilogram, while black pepper, spices and tea leaves are available at discounts ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 10, Pradhan said.
Other commodities are also being sold at discounts of Rs 10 to Rs 15, depending on the product, he added.
Meanwhile, the corporation said the recent difficulties in the availability of cooking gas in the market had gradually eased. Consumers have begun obtaining gas more conveniently since the corporation started selling it through its discount outlets.
Previously, cooking gas was distributed through a token system. However, consumers bringing their gas cylinders can now obtain refills more easily, Pradhan said.
He urged consumers to visit Salt Trading Corporation’s various sales outlets to purchase essential food items and other daily necessities at discounted prices.
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