KATHMANDU, March 30: The government, in a face saving move, has reiterated once again to enforce the rule requiring manufacturers and importers to show the maximum retail price (MRP) on essential goods which it failed to implement effectively despite introducing the provision in laws over a decade ago.
Issuing a public notice on Thursday, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (DoCSCP), has asked the manufacturing firms and importers to maintain labeling in their products that must include MRP along with the names of the manufacturers, batch number and expiry date of the traded goods. Likewise, the firms will also need to label the standardization and informative picture and symbol in the products in which they are applicable.
Attributing the rules in connection to the norms of consumer rights defined by the present Constitution and the Consumer Protection Act 2018, the DoCSCP has issued the directives for the traders. The department has fixed the deadline of April 2 to implement the rules by all concerned parties.
Badis urge govt to implement decade-old agreement
Earlier on September 17, 2012, the Commerce Ministry published a notice in the Nepal Gazette making price tags mandatory for daily necessities. But the government body had failed to implement the rules effectively over the period. At that time, the government had targeted to implement the MRP for 32-33 items including food products, milk, education fees, cement and iron rods.
This time, the government authorities were prompted to enforce the rule just on the basis of the controversial hike in prices of cement and iron rods. In the past month, cement manufacturers have increased the price of their product by around Rs 150 per sack, while the price of iron rod has also been increased to Rs 90 from Rs 76 per kg.
Kumar Prasad Dahal, director general of the DoCSCP said the department will be conducting rigorous market monitoring this time to effectively implement the rule. “Through this means, we have aimed to maintain transparency and promote healthy competition in the local market,” said Dahal.
Despite the notice of the department, entrepreneurs however are yet reluctant to abide by the government rule. Keshab Upreti, former general secretary of Nepal Cement Manufacturers’ Association, said they are unable to fix the MRP in the construction materials. According to him, prices of the construction materials differ as per the transport costs in distant locations.