Squeezing the public

It is criminal to continue with levies that contribute to inflation and bring hardship to people’s lives.

Despite oil prices falling internationally with Brent crude now reaching close to $90 a barrel, Nepal Oil Corporation refuses to reduce the high fuel prices Nepali consumers are being charged. The state-owned monopoly says it needs to maintain prices at current levels to recoup accumulated past losses. But this rigidity, even after reporting a monthly profit of Rs790.87 million , has caused insufferable hardships to the people who are struggling to cope with sky-high inflation that pricier fuel has stoked. Yet in these desperate times, the sole focus of the incumbent government seems to be the November 20 elections. (But reducing fuel prices on election-eve would not be such a bad poll ploy for the ruling parties, would it?)