Capacity Building Programme for State Excise Officials on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling

Focus State: Rajasthan

15 September 2021 | Medium: VIRTUAL

The practice of illicit trade involving counterfeiting and smuggling not only inflict monetary losses on individuals but also damages the national economy, have security implications, and jeopardize consumer’s health. FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) organised a capacity building programme on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling for the excise officers of Rajasthan on 15th September 2021. The programme was organised to sensitize the officers on the socio-economic impact of illicit and spurious alcohol, facilitate better engagement and cooperation of industry members and excise officers to prevent this menace.

Mr. P C Jha, Advisor FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs gave an overview on Socio-Economic Impact of Counterfeiting & Smuggling. While highlighting this issue, Mr. Jha said that for every manufactured product there exists a counterfeit in the market and to tackle this problem effective coordination and cooperation among different stakeholders such as government, enforcement agencies, industry, consumers, media is the need of the hour.

Dr. Joga Ram, IAS, Excise Commissioner, Rajasthan State Excise Department, Government of Rajasthan in his keynote address said, “In order to prevent illicit trade of liquor the state of Rajasthan has taken various measures such as introducing excise preventive force to monitor the mobility and smuggling of alcoholic beverages between states; implementing track and trace system where each legal bottle or carton is traced from the place of production till the place of consumption; introduction of Navjeevan Scheme for providing resources of livelihood to people engaged in manufacturing, storing and sale of illicit liquor, etc.”.

The uncertain situation of global crisis in the year 2020 made illicit trade as a matter of serious concern. While the government was committed towards fighting the health crisis, the perpetrators of the illicit trade used this as an opportunity to expand and intensify their operations. Since the onset of the pandemic enforcement agencies have raided and seized smuggled, spurious and counterfeited medicines, healthcare products, cosmetics, electronic goods, alcohols, packaged goods and several other items.

Mr. Deep Chand, IPS (Retd), Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi and Advisor, FICCI CASCADE while addressing the session praised the alert excise authorities of Rajasthan who have raided counterfeit liquor production units and seized huge volumes of spurious liquor during these unprecedented times. “However, with increased number of seizures being reported every day, it is highly possible that the total seizure may just be the tip of the iceberg of a much larger network. Hence, it is extremely important that our enforcement agencies keep up their already impressive work,” he further added.

Capacity building programme organized by FICCI CASCADE is an ongoing exercise that plays an instrumental role in motivating and enabling the law enforcement agencies to understand the gravity of the problem and take requisite actions against the perpetrators.