Tika Prasad Bhandari, a market inspector, said a team of market inspectors found Kaiyo Enterprise, Chaulagain Kirana Pasal, Om Kirana Pasal, Ayus Enterprise and Shrestha Dry Fruits Center evading VAT by selling dry fruits at prices higher than quoted in purchase bills issued by wholesalers. [break]
“We found huge gap between invoiced amount and actual selling prices in the market. We suspect that the importers might also have undervalued dry fruits to evade customs duty,” Bhandari told Republica.
The team dispatched by the DoC had representations from Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO), Department of Food Technology and Quality Control and consumer rights organizations. The department had deputed the team amid rising complaints about persistent rise in dry fruits prices.
Meanwhile, dealers in Ason, Makhan and Indra Chowk in the capital have increased the price of popular dry fruits like cashew nut, almond, walnut and raisin, on the eve of Tihar festival - the peak season for dry fruits sale.
The team also found dry fruits outlets in Ason and New Road practicing a cartel, going against the spirit of open market competition.
Promoters of those outlets defended the move, saying that customers were being cheated in the absence of price uniformity. Market inspectors did not buy the argument and said dry fruit outlets arbitrarily raised the prices to make some fast bucks during the Tihar festival.
“Importers and retailers are working in collusion to raise prices. Price of dry fruits has increased in range of 15-50 percent over a month´s period,” said Pabitra Bajracharya, president of Nepal Retailers´ Association.
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