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Petrol Pump Operators Least Interested in Using Smart Technology

  1 min 44 sec to read

September 4: Petrol pump operators in Nepal seem least interested in using smart technology. Nepal Oil Corporation informed that they haven’t got good response from operators to construct smart petrol pumps.

The state-run oil monopoly had presented the idea of smart petrol pumps to give good facilities and had also initiated the process to this end. But even thought the NOC extended the deadline for giving license to operate smart petrol pumps twice, only 98 operators have applied for upgrading their facilities. Among them, 76 are from private sector while the others include National Trading Corporation, Salt Trading Corporation, Sajha Service and Nepal Army. According to NOC, the number of applicants is much less than its expectation.

NOC had proposed the concept of smart petrol pumps toward the end of last year and had called for applications not later than January 2. But only 73 applications were filed in the beginning. NOC extended the deadline till mid-July for the second time. By then, 22 additional firms were interested in setting up smart petrol pumps.

Among them, National Trading Corporation has requested to run the maximum number of smart petrol pumps. It has filed application for seven smart petrol pumps. Likewise, Salt Trading, Sajha Service and Nepal Army have filed applications to run four smart petrol pumps each.

Surprisingly, only three operators have filed application to run smart petrol pump within the Kathmandu valley.

NOC Spokesperson Birendra Goit informed that 11 operators have been given permission to run smart petrol pumps.

According to NOC, it has set Rs 50,000 as application fee for obtaining the license to run smart petrol pumps. Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ Association President Lilendra Pradhan said that the operators are dissatisfied with the criteria set by the NOC. Pradhan said that the low number of application is the result of the criteria set by NOC, which is hard to fulfil.

 

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