KATHMANDU: The Food Management and Trade Company Ltd (FMTCL) is all set to offer a discount during the festive season. The company said that it will provide goods at discounted rates to customers in different places inside and outside the Kathmandu Valley like in the previous years.
The company has been providing goods at concessional prices every year during the festive season.
Sharmila Neupane Subedi, information officer of the company, said it is holding discussions regarding which modality to adopt to operate the fair price shops that it will be setting up this year. The operation modality of the shops has to be changed keeping in mind the risk of the coronavirus.
As per the company, it will be bringing 1,600 he-goats and 1,400 mountain goats to the valley from different districts for Dashain. However, it informed that the number of goats might change depending on the market environment.
Neupane mentioned that it is a challenging job to provide service to so many people amid the coronavirus pandemic. “So, we are discussing on a safe modality and also the way we can deliver the service safely without any congestion,” she added.
She claimed that the company will be providing goods at a concessional price like it does every year. Last year, the company had slashed the price of rice and meat by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per kg, respectively. The company will be selling foodstuff at similar discounts this year too.
The company had been providing its service in the Kathmandu valley through five offices and in 23 other places through its various dealerships and cooperatives till last year. “Because of the coronavirus, now we have to focus on health safety measures more than anything else. Since all the offices are accessible online, we will be providing online service too,” said Neupane.
The company targets to sell 2,500 metric tons of food items during the period from Dashain to Chhath this year. It also estimated sales to be between Rs 15 million and Rs 20 million this festive season. The company claims that it has a different niche in the market due to the quality goods that it offers.