Necessary steps in consumers’ interests

Union and state governments should take steps to safeguard consumer-interests by taking some important measures which will also give added revenue-earning for both Union and state-governments because of elimination of revenue-leakage:

1. Packaged-Commodities-Act needs to be re-written by making it compulsory to pack all packaged commodities only in packs of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 gms/mltrs/kgs/ltrs only to avoid gimmick packaging to befool consumers by manufacturers. Goods packed by numbers should likewise be only in packs of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and similar multiples of 1000 abolishing packing by dozens etc.

2. Since consumers avoid taking cash-memos because of VAT and local taxes shown as some extra additive to price of a commodity, only net payable price should be there on cash-memos and invoices. Authorities should assess local-tax liability on net price paid by the purchaser rather than calculating it extra on some basic price of the commodity.

3. MRP-based excise-duty should be imposed to reduce large gap between MRP and ex-factory price. Such large gap also induces corruption to bribe purchase-officers.

4. India should follow South Africa in extending ?Right-To-Information? Act in private sector too.