The prices of lentils, dried beans, edible oil and flour have increased by up to 30 percent in the last 15 days due to market anomalies, a consumer rights activist said.

Prem Lal Maharjan, president of the National Consumer Forum told the Post that the wholesalers and retailers have been increasing commodity prices on their own, on different pretexts. The prices have been particularly increasing since mid-April 2019, he added.

“By creating an artificial shortage, the traders have been increasing prices, especially of daily consumable goods,” Maharjan alleged.

He also said the government is less active in controlling the price increases and has not given any attention to regulating the prices of daily essentials.

Although the government has been saying that they cannot regulate the prices of consumer goods, Maharjan said that the Consumer Act 2018 had allowed regulating prices in 29 different essential consumer goods such as food items, garments, fuel and paper. “Why the government is not utilizing the rights given in the Act,” he asked. The government bodies have not taken a single step to control the prices of goods which have a direct impact on the general public, Maharjan added.

Traders eyeing higher profits have been importing legumes from third countries and with certain processing, have been exporting them to India, a retailer alleged, citing the move as the primary reason for the price increase in lentils.

But, Rajkumar Shrestha, president of the Nepal Retailers Association said the higher domestic prices are due to fears of an international conflict as well as due to the higher cost of import of the legumes from third countries.

According to a price list provided by the Nepal Retailers Association, mustard oil which was priced at Rs150 per liter has now reached Rs160 per liter, while the price of sunflower oil has reached Rs160 per liter from Rs150 per liter. Similarly, the prices of soybean oil are up from Rs90 per liter to Rs100 per liter.

In addition, the prices for lentils are up by about 15 percent, while brown chickpeas are currently selling at Rs130 per kg, up from Rs120 per kg. The price of green peas have increased to Rs110 per kg from Rs90 per kg and wheat flour prices gone up to Rs60 per kg from Rs50 per kg. The price of chilli powder has also risen, to Rs500 per kg from Rs400 per kg.

“It has been more than 15 days since the prices increased, but we have not observed any effective market inspection,” lamented Shrestha.

Pabitra Bajracharya, former president of the association said the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection Management should conduct a study and find out the reason for the price increases of kitchen essentials.

Netra Prasad Subedi, director-general of the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection Management has, meanwhile, asked the wholesalers to provide reasons for the rise in consumer prices. “We have also asked them to update their prices every 15 days and inform us about their stock,” said Subedi, adding the department will soon be conducting a market inspection to find out, if traders hiked the prices of their old stock.