Jewellers reaching out to political leaders

KATHMANDU, JUN 21 -With the government not getting bogging down by their pressure, jewellers have started lobbying with the political leaders to save fellow traders who were found involved in cheating consumers in weight and quality of jewellery products.

The representatives of two jewellers’ organisations—Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Associations (Fenegosida) and Federation of Nepal Gold

Silver Gem and Jewellery Association—met with CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal on Thursday. The jewellers are reportedly seeking time of UCPN-Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal and top leaders of other political parties.

Irate jewellers have continued a nationwide closure of jewellery shops to pile pressure on the government to  prevent action against the jewellers who were found guilty during monitoring and stop lab test of their jewellery products. Customers have been hit hard as jewellery traders across the country continued their protest, shutting their shops for the past nine days.


The jewellers said that they were compelled to reach out to political leaders as a last resort after lack of response from the government towards addressing their grievances. They have been demanding that those found duping consumers during the government’s inspection be released without initiating further action and stop inspection until a ‘scientific’ guideline is introduced.

“We are meeting with top political party leaders to put jewellers’ owes. The closure will continue until the government address our demands,” said Manik Ratna Shakya, general secretary of Fenegosida. He argued that the government had adopted a ‘controlling mechanism’ rather than employing a favourable policies to promote the private sector.

A meeting that the Department of Commerce and Supply Management had fixed at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies on Thursday to discuss the jewellers’ issues could not be held after the latter failed to give time. With the government preparing to file a case against the faulty traders, the jewellers’ federation had launched their protest, shutting down all jewellery shops across the country since last week.

The Department of Commerce is preparing to file case against three jewellery shops—Shree Ganapati Jewellers , RB Diamonds and Tejmin Jewellers —in the district court for their involvement in cheating customers in quality of products and using uncertified weighing tools, said officials.

Based on the demand of the jewellers, a draft of the proposed guideline is under consideration at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies.

“We are working on the directive in line with the international standards by fixing the percentage of jewellery making charge and mixing of metal to be approved,” said Deepak Subedi, spokesperson for the ministry. He said the guidelines are expected to be endorsed in two-three days.