January 11: A shipment of 50,000 metric tons of wheat, that should have arrived from India four months ago, has been delayed due to the sluggish approach of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and the faulty data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Due to this reason, the production of 40 flour mills in operation across the country has stopped resulting in a decline in production other industries that rely on flour and wheat.

Narayan Regmi, joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, said that the process will not move forward until a new minister arrives.

Although the Government of India had approved the export of 50,000 tons of wheat to Nepal 12 days ago, the shipment has not moved forward as the Ministry of Industry has not been able to send a letter to India quoting the specific requirement for specific purpose. As a result, even the approved quota of wheat could not be imported.

Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini, who was recently transferred to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, said that he cannot comment on the issue because he was just transferred to the ministry and is studding the process of wheat import.

President of Nepal Flour Mills Association Kumud Dugad mentioned that if the government had sent the quota four months ago, Nepal would have already received the second consignment of wheat from India by now.

 “It is unfortunate that our government could not send a letter to bring the approved quota of 50,000 tons of wheat,” said Dugad.

 He claimed that due to the shortage of wheat, the production of 40 large flour mills across the country has dropped to almost zero. He said that they supply flour to the noodles and biscuit factories for a few more days with the stock of wheat they have but those factories will also have to shut down soon, warned Dugad.

“Our country has an amazing bureaucracy that requires a minister even to send a letter that is ready to be sent while the citizens are losing their purchase power for flour,” he said.

Informing that the association has already submitted a letter to the ministry to distribute 50,000 tons of wheat to all the mills, Dugad said that this amount will last for only one week. He said that by the time domestically produced wheat comes to the market in April, all the mills in Nepal will require 300,000 tons of wheat.