Retailers laud govt for amending Legal Metrology Act

New Delhi, Dec 26 (KNN) Marking as one of the landmark reform for the operation of retail businesses in India, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2022, was introduced in the Parliament last week which decriminalises certain Acts like the Legal Metrology Act and Food Safety Act.

The bill which has been praised by the retailers’ community rationalises minor offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business.

Retailers Association of India (RAI) had been pursuing the Government for the amendment as part of the ease of doing retail business recommendations for which RAI had a series of meetings with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons in the document, page no. 61, by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, states in point no. 3, that “Decriminalisation of large number of minor offences by replacing them with monetary penalties have been identified. The endeavour is not only to make lives and businesses easier but also to reduce judicial burden. Settlement of large number of issues, by compounding method, adjudication and administrative mechanism, without involving courts, will enable persons to remedy minor contraventions and defaults, sometimes committed unknowingly by them, and save time, energy and resources.”

Speaking about the amendment, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, RAI, said, “Retailers Association of India welcomes the amendment, which has been a long-standing requirement from retailers across the country. The reforms introduced are conducive to ease of doing business and show the progressive understanding by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.”

“While this takes care of ease of doing business for retailers, their commitment and responsibility towards their consumers will not reduce. We would like to thank Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Rohit Kumar Singh, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs Government of India for their continuous support,” he added.

Link to view the bill (refer page 105): https://bit.ly/3PPwUBP

(KNN Bureau)