Baglamukhi Oil Store misuses software to cheat consumers

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) today sealed Baglamukhi Oil Stores at Sano Bharyang in Kathmandu for cheating the customers. "The fuel store misused software in the digital dispensing system to cheat customers by giving them up to 3.2 per cent less petrol than they paid for," according to the bureau's director general Bishwo Babu Pudasaini.
The system had been tampered with, he said, adding that the system operates in normal mode when the attendants give general instruction to the software just to avoid scrutiny by the government monitoring team.
Three years ago, some fuel stations in Kathmandu Valley were found using chips and remote control to cheat the consumers. "The bureau grilled Baglamukhi Oil Stores as we have received complaints from the motorists," he said, adding that the bureau had cross checked with other petrol pumps which have been using similar digitalised dispensers to confirm the cheating. "The proprietor of the fuel store will face action under the new Civil Code, if he is found guilty, apart from seizing the operating licence."
There are around 120 petrol pumps in the Valley. The bureau suspects that some of them are cheating the customers by manipulating the digital meter. "The department has also issued circular to petrol pumps not to use technicians until it has completed the investigations of all the petrol pumps in the Valley."
Last month too, the bureau had found similar malpractice in three petrol pumps in Bara district. The bureau is filing cases against these petrol pumps soon. Likewise, the Department of Supply Management and Protection of Consumers Interest has slapped Bhadrakali Oil Store in Gothatar with a fine of Rs 200,000 for giving customers short measure. The pump had tampered with the fuel dispenser to dispense 25-35 millilitres less for every litre of petrol than what customers were paying for. 

EU donates mobile food testing van

The European Union (EU) has donated a mobile food testing van to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) — under the EC-Nepal WTO Assistance Programme — which is a major step towards safeguarding public health.

The donation is part of the EC-Nepal WTO Assistance Programme which constituted an EU support of two million euros (approximately Rs 228 million), according to the EU.

"The project has come a long way and has contributed substantially in assisting mainly two departments of the government — Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM), and Department of Food Technology and Quality Control — to upgrade the skills of their technical staff with training programmes and their existing laboratories for acquiring international accreditation," said ambassador and head of European Union Delegation to Nepal Dr Alexander Spachis.

The programme that concluded a year ago in 2011 also received the support of UNIDO (Euro170,000) and UNESCAP (Euro27,000), while the government's contribution in kinds amounted to (Euro114,000).

The main goal of the programme was to address the country's trade related obligations following its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in April 2004.

"It will raise hopes for increased exports for Nepal in the years ahead," said Spachis, adding that all the DFTQC testing laboratories have already received international accreditation for 26 different parameters related to food testing and quality control from the India based National Accreditation Board for Laboratories while NBSM laboratories are in the process of getting accreditations.

"Some of the major achievements of the projects are upgrading of the laboratories of the two departments, addition of more equipment, and skilled manpower leading to better prospects of finding an expanded market for Nepal's exports."

"DFTQC is indeed very thankful to the EU for extending its support, which has helped us get international accreditation for our laboratories," said DFTQC director general Jeevan Prabha Lama during the handover ceremony.

"It will help promote Nepal's exports in the international market and have a positive impact in the country's economy in the long run," she said, adding that the Inspection Mobile Lab Van donated by the EU will help in effective and efficient food inspection, as well as respond promptly to consumer issues in food safety in and around Kathmandu valley whenever the need is urgently felt and thereby contribute to safeguarding the health of the general public.

After its accession to WTO, Nepal faced many Technical Barriers to Trade and sanitary and phytosanitary issues, one of which was the absence of laboratories that were on par with international standards.

The successful conclusion of the EC-Nepal WTO Assistance Programme puts the country in a better position to increase its income by profiting from an expanded international market.