China may fuel Nepal ties with 1,000 mt supply

The first shipment is expected to arrive in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in a few days, said sources at state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).

Nepal’s new government has mobilised various agencies to bring fuel and cooking gas from China in the wake of shortage of essential goods during festivals due to the Madhesi-led agitation in the southern plains.

“The Government of China had in the recent past expressed commitment to provide 1,000 metric tonnes of fuel to Nepal on grant basis and the same is being materialised now as Nepal is facing shortage of fuel due to blockade on the Indian border,” informed Nepal Prime Minister’s Press Advisor Pramod Dahal.

He said that the government has decided to give a no-objection letter to private firms to import oil from China. Until recently, Nepal Oil Corporation had a monopoly to import petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation. 

The government ended that monopoly by authorising private paries to import fuel. The first shipment will be dispatched to Kathmandu via the reopened Rasuwagadhi-Kerung trading point between Nepal and Tibet. 

The route along the trading point on both sides of the border was badly damaged in the massive earthquake in April. Nepal and China recently reopened two border check points — Tatopani and Kerung.

As supplies from India remained squeezed due the over-a- month-old Madhesi agitation even after the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa to New Delhi this month, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda have been taking initiatives to import oil from China. 

Oli and Prachanda have separately met Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai and made requests in this regard. Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha during his recent visit to China discussed the issue with top Chinese officials.

A six-member team from Nepal Oil Corporation, led by its Deputy General Manager Sushil Kumar Bhattarai, has reached Sigatse in Tibet to discuss fuel import with Chinese officials, the sources said. Another high-level team from Nepal consisting officials from various ministries will soon leave for Beijing to sign a deal in this regard.

Nepal’s traders too urged Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, at a meeting, to take steps to open alternate trading routes in the wake of the agitation as it might lead to the closure of many industries in the country.