Rising costs and supply bottlenecks push up the cost of Dashain shopping
Summary
Rising transport costs, flood-hit supply routes and higher demand are pushing up Dashain shopping bills in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. Consumers report steep increases in clothes, meat, oil and gas prices, while official data shows inflation has accelerated sharply in the new fiscal year.
Key Points
- Dashain shoppers in Kathmandu are facing higher prices for clothes, meat, cooking oil and gas compared with last year.
- The Nepal Rastra Bank says annual consumer inflation rose to 5.96 percent in the first month of the current fiscal year, with food and transport prices climbing sharply.
- Traders say the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood disrupted imports from China, increased freight costs and reduced supply ahead of the festival season.
- Consumer groups and the NRB warn that artificial shortages, cartelization and weak monitoring are also contributing to price hikes.
