KATHMANDU, Dec 17: The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (DoCSCP) collected cash fines of more than Rs 13 million from business firms charged for market anomalies during mid-July and November-end of the current fiscal year (FY).
According to the DoCSCP, the regulator slapped a cash fine against 287 firms on charge of breaching the laws related to the Consumer Protection Act 2018. In the review period, the market regulator cross-checked a total of 1,398 business outlets, out of which the DoCSP asked 251 firms to provide related documents and gave general instructions to 744 firms for improving their daily operation systems, informed Bharat Prasad Acharya, director of the DoCSCP.
Over Rs 13 million in fines collected from firms violating stat...
Educational consultants were among the business firms that paid the largest amount in cash fines. Acharya said the department imposed fines of Rs 3.17 million against 50 educational consultancies. Likewise, a total of Rs 335,000 from six outlets of auto parts, Rs 1.94 million from 47 food businesses, Rs 300,000 from electronics businesses and Rs 1.62 million from unspecified sectors was recovered in the review period.
According to Acharya, a total of 400 teams inspected these industries and firms during this period. Thirteen readymade garment shops were fined Rs 667,600, while 23 utensil shops and 18 cosmetic shops were slapped fines of Rs 545,000 and Rs 738,000, respectively.
Likewise, six footwear industries were fined with Rs 432,000. As 10 groceries paid the bills of Rs 80,100, four hardware shops paid Rs 172,000, five furniture and fixtures shops paid Rs 323,000, four vegetable and fruit shops Rs 95,000 and three bottled water companies paid Rs 50,000.
Similarly, two schools and colleges were fined Rs 255,000, dairy products Rs 225,000, liquor and tobacco sectors Rs 205,000, departmental stores Rs 200,000 and construction materials outlets paid Rs 205,000 for not abiding with the government rules.
