Government unearths widespread irregularities in jewellery market
KATHMANDU, MAY 30 -
Government monitoring of the jewellery market has revealed that irregularities and unscrupulous practices are widespread. Quality test reports of product samples obtained from the local market show that customers are being cheated especially in weight and quality of diamond, gold and silver jewellery. Inspection teams have found that use of uncertified weighing scales and weights is rampant. A number of traders were also found to have been weighing diamonds and gold on balances approved for measuring silver.
The Department of Commerce and Supply Management, that normally conducts market monitoring, said that taking prompt action against the offenders was not possible as their actions were related to multiple regulating agencies of the government depending on their type and seriousness. Monitoring teams have inspected 12 jewellery shops, and each of them was found to have been involved in some kind of irregularity.
“All 12 jewellery shops were involved in different unethical practices such as cheating customers on weight and quality and adulterating precious metals,” said Narayan Prasad Bidari, director general of the department. He added that they were committed to taking action as per the Consumer Rights Projection Act even though the due process of law takes around six to 10 months to press charges against them.
As part of its ongoing crackdown against dishonest jewellery shops, the government team inspected Bhairav Jewellery, New Kumari Jewellers and Handicraft, New Shakya Abhushan Shop in Bhedasing, Kathmandu. The department said that it had directed Bhairav Jewellery to stop dealing in diamond jewellery as it had no separate weighing machine to weigh diamonds. New Kumari Jewellers has been found using the same machine to weigh both gold and silver products. New Shakya Abhushan was found using a 200 gm weight which had not been certified by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM), according to the department’s monitoring report.
After the inspection of well-known jewellery shops, other storeowners have been rushing to have their weighing machines and weights certified. Biswa Babu Pudasaini, deputy director general of the NBSM, said that traders had been coming to them to have their jewellery quality tested. “Certification of weighing instruments has also increased which is a positive result of the market inspection,” he added.
Since there is no benchmark of any kind, arbitrary charges for making jewellery have also become a serious problem. There are also complaints that jewellers have been overcharging customers citing a shortage of gold in the market. “We also want to regulate the jewellery making charge,” said Dasharath Gautam, legal officer of the department. He added that they had been discussing a draft plan with organizations representing bullion dealers.
The government started monitoring jewellery shops last month in response to growing complaints. Shree Ganapati Jewellers, Tejmin Jewellers and RB Diamonds were inspected at that time. The monitoring team had found Shree Ganapati Jewelleries and RB Diamonds using weighing machines without proper certification from the NBSM. Similarly, lab reports of the samples collected from these shops revealed that they had been selling low quality gold and silver products.
The NBSM’s lab tests have showed that even famous jewellery shops such as Shree Riddhi Sidhhi Jewellers, Shalimar Jewellers and Geetanjali Jewellers in Kathmandu had been cheating customers by selling low quality jewellery. The government had monitored the shops last week and collected samples for tests. A gold ear top marked as 24 carat from Shree Riddhi Siddhi contained 97.51 percent gold and 1.15 percent cadmium. A gold ring marked 22 carat from Shalimar Jewellers contained 89.29 percent gold and the rest other metals. A gold ring marked 18 carat from Geetanjali Jewellers contained 71.01 percent gold, according to the NBSM.
As per NBSM standards, 24 carat gold must contain 99.5 percent gold and 22 carat gold must contain 91.6 percent gold. Likewise, 18 carat gold must contain 75 percent gold. Jewellers are required to use separate NBSM certified weighing instruments for weighing diamond, gold and silver jewellery products.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
