11^th January 2023| Chhattisgarh

FICCI CASCADE organised a Capacity Building Programme for the Police Officers of Chhattisgarh on 11th January 2023 in Raipur. The training programme aimed at highlighting the paramount role of police officials in liberating the nations from the clutches of illicit trade.

While addressing the ‘Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ Mr Ratan Lal Dangi IPS, Director, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose State Police Academy stated that the problem of smuggling and counterfeiting is not only confined to India but is impacting the world. Police, being the primary enforcement body is playing an important role in enforcing laws and is continuously working for the nation building to foster economic growth. Mr. Dangi mentioned that counterfeiters and smugglers are not only hurting the economy of our country but are posing severe threat to the health and safety of citizens. Awareness among the enforcement agencies on the growing need to save the consumers from the hazard of counterfeiting & smuggling is essential, he added.

Mr Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi gave an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling. He stated that the grey market is fueling illegitimate industry, leading to an increased criminalization in society. This capacity building program is aimed to sensitize the Chhattisgarh police officers on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled products, he emphasized.

Col Atul Yadav, General Manager- North, Industry Affairs, ITC Ltd. opined that illegal activities such as counterfeiting and smuggling are flooding the market with substandard fake and smuggled products which are produced without following quality norms at unhygienic places, and are sold illegally, thus contributing towards increase in unaccounted money. A major driver for the rampant increase of smuggling is high taxes which create a significant arbitrage to fuel such activities. The extent of smuggling in the country is a cause of great concern. However, to effectively tackle the growing menace of smuggling in India, a lot more needs to be done to make the compliance and processes more robust and detection of such crime easier, he added.

Ms Aashita Agarwal, Policy Manger, Public Policy, Amazon India accentuated that Amazon is focused in mitigating fraud and abuse on marketplaces that hamper customer trust. Amazon has introduced several initiatives and have put in resources to make its marketplace a reliable and safe platform for customers, brands, and sellers to conduct transactions. She added that we are committed to promoting and participating in the efforts for ensuring that the consumers are empowered to enjoy the benefits of online shopping while being protected from the risks the digital era may present. The programme witnessed an enthusiastic participation of 120 police officers across the state.