Respite for customers, often distressed by the long-running fuel shortage, is receding further into the distance. Petrol pumps across the country downed their shutters from Monday in protest against the inadequate supplies being distributed by the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) while transporters have stopped carrying fuel demanding more money as the price in diesel has gone up. Chances of the solitary supplier being able to make regular deliveries of gasoline are meager as the only two options - another steep increment in retail prices or heavy subsidies from the government - do not look like happening, say analysts. All that the customers can do now is "pray that OPEC increases production' so that global prices will come down and the shortage will be eased, they said. Petroleum dealers said they were on strike because NOC has not been able to supply them with adequate stocks even after the price increase. "All refueling stations closed from today after selling the last of their stock,' said Sharad Bhandari, general secretary of the association. Consumers have been hit by another round of scarcity after a few days of smooth supplies following the price hike. An NOC official said that their current financial status did not permit them to purchase fuel in sufficient quantities from their supplier the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). NOC is still incurring losses amounting to around Rs 1.5 billion each month. No negotiation has yet taken place between NOC and the petroleum dealers regarding the issue. However, the corporation held a round of talks with the agitating transporters on Monday. Mukunda Prasad Dhungel, spokesperson for NOC, said that the corporation's representatives had urged the transporters to resume supplies. "The negotiations will continue on Tuesday,' he said adding that NOC is also preparing to hold talks with the petroleum dealers. The dealers say they will not budge from their earlier stand. "Unless the government comes up with a convincing plan on how it will end the deficit and steeply raise imports, our shutters will be down,' said Bhandari. Analysts said life wouldn't become any easier for customers even if the petroleum dealers called off their strike. "It won't make any difference unless the NOC supplies them petroleum in sufficient quantities.' The NOC official said that IOC had stopped supplying oil on credit. "We are importing 2,500 kiloliters of fuel daily. The regular daily demand is around 4,500 kiloliters,' he said. The global crude oil prices hovered around US$ 137 a barrel on Monday in international futures trading. In its latest bid to support the ailing NOC, the government decided to give Rs 1 billion in soft loans to NOC. "But this amount is peanuts considering the huge losses that corporation is making,' said the NOC official.