Government may have to extend August 5 deadline, as traders unhappy with controversial Act.
The Union governments’ efforts to get Wholesalers and retailers to sign up for the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006, which deals with the manufacturing, processing and sales of all eatable items, have met with little success. As the deadline of August 5 is fast approaching only 50% of the country’s traders have opted for the convergence and done their registration under the new guidelines so far as per the data given by the various trade associations.
According to The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), most of the retail/wholesale traders are not happy with the controversial Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006 which not only increase the burden for the traders but gives ample power to the government officials, including the suspension of the license.
FSSA, 2006 is an Act to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The Act was needed to bring out a single statutory body for food laws, standards setting and enforcement so that there is no confusion in the minds of consumers, traders, manufacturers and investors which was due to multiplicity of food laws. The mandate assigned to the Food Authority is laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
According to Devendera Thakker, spokesman, Mumbai Mewawala Traders Association.(MMT) the FSSA 2006 is copied from the Western-world which have a different lifestyle, excellent weathers, and quality infrastructural facilities compared to India. “Actually in India we have humid conditions and poor infrastructure along with mixed lifestyle and hence the FSSA 2006 has no relevance here,” he said.
Thakker pointed out that the wholesale –retail traders of Maharashtra are already under pressure due to various taxation-governmental departments which including Gumaasta-Shop Establishment, Maharashtra Sales tax, ESIC, VAT, Income Tax, Octroi, APMC, Local Police, Weight and Measures and Food Safety Act. “The new act will only add the cumbersome process for the traders,” he added.
“Such lengthy process can be easily implemented by the organized sector as well as Fast Moving Consumer Goods Manufacturers (FMCG) multinationals as they have both monetary powers as well as sufficient staff to handle them,” he added further.
“There is no scientific basis for the implementation of the Act, its rules and regulations. Moreover, we are afraid of implementing it - that is where the problem lies. The regulatory approach is wrong, and from the stakeholders’ point of view, it would not be incorrect to say that it isn’t awareness or education, but sensitization which is an absolute must. The law is draconian, and could promote more corruption than there is now,” he said.
Thakker said that The Mumbai Mewawala Traders Association, has already filed a writ petition against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in the Mumbai High Court, demanding withdrawal of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, which is likely to come up for the hearing during the first week of August.
However, going by the slow rate of convergence and poor response from the retail traders, it is learnt that the Union government is going to extend the deadline by at least six months from 5th August 2012.
The Union governments’ efforts to get Wholesalers and retailers to sign up for the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006, which deals with the manufacturing, processing and sales of all eatable items, have met with little success. As the deadline of August 5 is fast approaching only 50% of the country’s traders have opted for the convergence and done their registration under the new guidelines so far as per the data given by the various trade associations.
According to The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), most of the retail/wholesale traders are not happy with the controversial Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006 which not only increase the burden for the traders but gives ample power to the government officials, including the suspension of the license.
FSSA, 2006 is an Act to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The Act was needed to bring out a single statutory body for food laws, standards setting and enforcement so that there is no confusion in the minds of consumers, traders, manufacturers and investors which was due to multiplicity of food laws. The mandate assigned to the Food Authority is laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
According to Devendera Thakker, spokesman, Mumbai Mewawala Traders Association.(MMT) the FSSA 2006 is copied from the Western-world which have a different lifestyle, excellent weathers, and quality infrastructural facilities compared to India. “Actually in India we have humid conditions and poor infrastructure along with mixed lifestyle and hence the FSSA 2006 has no relevance here,” he said.
Thakker pointed out that the wholesale –retail traders of Maharashtra are already under pressure due to various taxation-governmental departments which including Gumaasta-Shop Establishment, Maharashtra Sales tax, ESIC, VAT, Income Tax, Octroi, APMC, Local Police, Weight and Measures and Food Safety Act. “The new act will only add the cumbersome process for the traders,” he added.
“Such lengthy process can be easily implemented by the organized sector as well as Fast Moving Consumer Goods Manufacturers (FMCG) multinationals as they have both monetary powers as well as sufficient staff to handle them,” he added further.
“There is no scientific basis for the implementation of the Act, its rules and regulations. Moreover, we are afraid of implementing it - that is where the problem lies. The regulatory approach is wrong, and from the stakeholders’ point of view, it would not be incorrect to say that it isn’t awareness or education, but sensitization which is an absolute must. The law is draconian, and could promote more corruption than there is now,” he said.
Thakker said that The Mumbai Mewawala Traders Association, has already filed a writ petition against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in the Mumbai High Court, demanding withdrawal of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, which is likely to come up for the hearing during the first week of August.
However, going by the slow rate of convergence and poor response from the retail traders, it is learnt that the Union government is going to extend the deadline by at least six months from 5th August 2012.
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