KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has defended his government’s performance amid growing questions over the shortage of LPG cooking gas, saying efforts are underway to revive loss-making and defunct state-owned industries and institutions.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Friday morning, Shah said his government had prioritized making national industries more competitive and productive. He highlighted improvements at Nepal Drugs Limited, Hetauda Textile Industry, Nepal Airlines, Dairy Development Corporation and Singha Durbar Vaidyakhana.
Shah claimed Nepal Drugs Limited sold medicines worth Rs 238 million in the past four months and earned a profit of Rs 300 million last fiscal year after obtaining Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification.
He also said test production has begun at the long-shuttered Hetauda Textile Industry, while Nepal Airlines recorded Rs 6.27 billion in revenue between Chaitra and Asar last fiscal year.
According to Shah, DDC has reduced its outstanding payments to farmers from Rs 720 million to Rs 350 million, while daily revenue has increased from around Rs 6 million to Rs 9 million.
However, the Prime Minister did not directly address the recent LPG shortage that has left consumers facing difficulties in obtaining cooking gas.
His statement came after lawmakers, including members of the ruling party, questioned the government over the gas shortage and its overall performance in the House of Representatives.
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