Banking News – The Nepal LP Gas Industry Association has urged consumers not to stockpile LPG cylinders, stating that the temporary shortage of cooking gas in the market has been caused by an unusually high number of consumers refilling reserve cylinders at the same time, rather than a disruption in supply.

Association President Diwan Chand said LPG imports from India remain uninterrupted, with around 100 gas bullets entering Nepal daily, similar to normal supply levels.

According to him, the volume of LPG imported through Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has not decreased, and there is no supply-side problem.

He explained that the current shortage has been artificially created by panic buying and excessive storage, as many consumers have started keeping additional gas cylinders at home.

“If consumers avoid storing more cylinders than they actually need, the current situation can be resolved smoothly,” Chand said.

Association member Bimal Kalakheti said the situation was worsened because the half-cylinder LPG distribution system introduced by the government was not implemented effectively on time.

He added that current gas supplies are sufficient to meet normal market demand, and therefore no long-term shortage is expected.

According to the association, around 15 million LPG cylinders are currently in circulation across Nepal, of which approximately 5 million cylinders are stored at gas depots nationwide.

The Government of Nepal introduced the half-cylinder LPG distribution system on March 12, 2025 (Falgun 28, 2081 BS). At present, 59 LPG industries are operating across the country.