KATHMANDU, Oct 20: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has taken a significant step by forming a high-level committee to establish price limits for goods and services sold within airports throughout the country.
Recent scrutiny by the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, revealed that prices within airport shops exceed those outside the airport vicinity. Additionally, some shops were found to lack the mandatory Maximum Retail Price (MRP) tags, and others were charging exorbitant prices.
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In response, airport management requested the Department of Commerce to conduct an investigation into these concerns. CAAN spokesperson, Gyanendra Bhul, disclosed that a high-level study committee was assembled on Thursday to address these issues comprehensively, including assessing the impact of aligning airport prices with those in the external market.
Bhul explained, "There is an ongoing debate regarding whether airports should be considered as market areas or not. The committee has been tasked with deliberating on policy matters, such as ensuring that MRP prices are consistent with those outside the airport while maintaining product quality."
Chaired by Jagannath Niraula, Deputy Director General of CAAN, the committee has been entrusted with the responsibility of finalizing the legal aspects of the issues raised within a 15-day timeframe.
It is expected that the committee will also address concerns about the elevated prices in airports compared to other market areas and determine the duration for which price guarantees will be upheld to protect consumers and ensure product quality. The committee is further responsible for submitting its findings to the Director General.
