'Price Transparency Week' campaign from Monday

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, May 10: The government is set to launch a special campaign 'Price Transparency Week' across the country from Monday with the aim of controlling irregularities, artificial price hikes and consumer fraud in the market. 

The 'Price Transparency Week' is being conducted under the joint initiative of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah's press and research expert, Dipa Dahal, has said that this campaign is being launched to solve the problem of price hike, which is directly linked to the daily lives of citizens. She expressed belief that the week-long campaign will prove to be a milestone in stopping wrongdoings in the market.

Dahal also urged all concerned bodies, civil society, and media personnel to support the campaign and help monitor and raise awareness about irregularities in the market.

The week-long special campaign will continue until May 17, 2026. According to the decision and correspondence of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has already instructed all concerned bodies across the country to implement it.

Instructions have been issued to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, all provincial chief ministers’ offices, and local governments to carry out the campaign, said Dahal.

The government has launched the campaign in response to increasing complaints about inconsistent pricing of goods and services in the market, which often leads consumers to be misled or overcharged. The initiative aims to ensure clarity and transparency in the pricing of all goods and services, make traders and service providers accountable, enforce mandatory price lists, strengthen monitoring systems, and ensure immediate action against offenders.

Responsibilities of different bodies

Local levels will ask goods and service providers within their areas to maintain a mandatory price list and will conduct regular monitoring. 

Similarly, the District Administration Office has been assigned to activate district-level market monitoring committees, promote price transparency, and ensure regulatory compliance.

Likewise, the federal and provincial market monitoring committees will assess market conditions, deploy inspection teams, and initiate strict legal action against those who fail to comply with regulations.