Presently manufacturers deliberately leave a big gap between printed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) or list-price and actual ex-factory price of commodities mainly to be used as bribe for purchase-officers in offices including those in government and public-sector. Most of the times, actual ex-factory price is just one third of printed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) or list price. To overcome such bribes for purchase-officers, Union government should impose excise-duty on basis of printed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) or list price rather than ex-factory price. Even presently such a system is prevailing for some selected commodities only, which should be compulsorily extended for all commodities in general. These observations are based on information provided by some manufacturers whose products are mainly supplied to various departments of Union and state governments including also to public-sector undertakings and local bodies as also can be practically observed in wholesale markets.

Check corruption : Impose MRP-based excise-duty Union government should also make appropriate changes in Packaged Commodities Act to check menace of gimmick packaging by manufacturers to cheat consumers. It should be made 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. India should follow South Africa in extending ‘Right-To-Information’ Act in private sector too.

Email Id: suraj_1511@yahoo