It’s your thing

The police seized counterfeit cosmetic products worth seven million rupees from JSM Trading at Makhan on Saturday. Among the seized products were brands like Fair and Lovely, Lakme and Dove, all popular brand names in Nepali market, especially among womenfolk. Not long ago, THT had carried a news report about an unauthorised company that was selling beauty products in Kathmandu under the infamous pyramid scheme. These incidents are clear indicators of the large number of unscrupulous traders involved in this lucrative business.

The untaxed products seized on Saturday are believed to have been smuggled in via Lhasa on the Nepal-Tibet border. These fake products — mostly sporting labels of either Germany or China — could disfigure their users and in extreme cases, even harm their overall health. Skin-related problems are most common among regular users. This illegal trade is flourishing thanks to lax enforcement of consumer protection rights and failure of law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal traders. Lack of surveillance along the Nepal-Tibet border ensures that fake products are plentiful in Nepali market. Yet the most effective measure against fake trading of beauty and healthcare products would be alertness on the part of the prospective consumers. With a discerning eye, even subtle differences between genuine and fake products can be spotted. Buying cosmetic products only from authorised dealers is another sure means to drive out unscrupulous businessmen engaged in this illegal trade.