From January 1, 2018, the price of a packaged goods would no longer depend on where you bought it – be it a local kirana store, a mall, a five-star hotel or an airport. The Consumer Affairs ministry has amended the rules that govern packaged commodities to this effect.
As per the amended Legal Metrology rules for packaged commodities that will come into effect from the next calendar year, the Centre has clarified that the retail sale price shall be the maximum retail price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes, with the provision to round off the price to the nearest rupee or 50 paise.
Further, to curb the possibility of any vendor charging differential prices for the same product, a new legal provision has been inserted that no person shall declare different MRPs on an identical pre-packed commodity.
The new norms also require sellers to enhance the size of letters and numerals for making declarations about the packaged goods, such as their “Best before date, month and year” to indicate their shelf life, for making it easier for consumers to read vital information, said an official.
Interestingly, for e-commerce marketplaces, declaring the month and year in which a commodity is manufactured or packed is not mandatory and if they fulfill certain conditions, they will not be held liable for whether the declarations were correct or incorrect.
The Consumer Affairs ministry has put the onus for the veracity of declarations on the manufacturer, seller, dealer or importer concerned who may be using the e-commerce portal to sell their wares.
