By Laxman Kafle
Kathmandu, May 15: The state-owned food supplier --Food Management and Trading Company has started utilising modern technologies so that the people could have an easy access to its services.
The FMTC has been operating online delivery services in the Kathmandu Valley.
“We are delivering food items from our own online portal and other e-commerce companies in the Kathmandu Valley,” said Sharmila Neupane Subedi, spokesperson at the FMTC.
The FMTC has been distributing all food items through online and from its four counters in the Kathmandu Valley.
The Company is distributing daily goods not only from its sales outlets and online portals, but it has also been collaborating with other e-commerce companies to deliver goods to the people’s doorstep.
The company is continuing its online sales after the people faced problems visiting its counters during lockdown last year, she said.
The company's products can be purchased through the company's online service (Nepal Food) and e-commerce service Sastodeal.com.
The FMTC has been providing free home delivery service to the consumers within the Ring Road in Kathmandu.
Similarly, Sastodeal has been providing free delivery service throughout the Kathmandu Valley as per the demand of the consumers, she said.
The Company has made an arrangement to order goods online by making e-payment.
“We have been delivering food items, including rice, oil and lentils to the consumers based on their call and order. The company has set a minimum requirement of Rs. 2,000 and a maximum of Rs. 5,000 for free delivery. The amount can also be paid after receiving the demanded food items,” she said.
The company has given two options to the consumers to pay--through digital payment after placing the purchase order or pay in cash after receiving the goods, she said.
The FMTC has also started selling STC brand cooking gas from its four sales counters in the Kathmandu Valley.
The Company has stated that its counters at Ramshahpath, Thapathali, Nakhu and Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur are catering services.
The Company has been operating its Thapathali and Nakhkhu sales counters from 7 am to 7 pm, she said.
However, the counters of Ramshahpath and Suryabinayak open from 7 am to 11 pm every day.
She said that they were opening the sales counters from early in the morning with the objective of not causing any inconvenience to the consumers during the time of restriction.
No shortage of rice in remote areas The FMTCL has been supplying rice across the country to ease food supply during the ongoing restriction period.
“We are transporting rice across the country, focusing mainly the hilly and remote areas so that there will be no shortage of rice during the restriction time,” Subedi said.
She assured that the FMTC was in a ready position to deliver rice in any place where there would be crisis of food as the company had enough rice in its stock.
She said that there would not be any shortage of rice even in the food deficit districts as the present stock of food would be enough to meet the demands for around four months.