PANAJI
Few days ago Maharashtra’s excise and narcotics department had raided a place in Margao and seized spurious liquor. In the light of this, such authentication symbols become very important as they prevent manufacture and sale of fake alcohol.
Such symbols on liquor bottles will have two benefits. One, they will help state government in tracking liquor bottles to make sure that manufacturers don’t evade paying taxes. Two, looking at symbols like holograms and QR codes, consumers will know that the product is genuine.
Menino D’Souza, excise commissioner, said, “Our software is ready for the implementation of authentication marks. But, alcohol industry has to be taken into confidence for it, as they will also have to implement it”
The details of the scheme are still being worked out. It remains to be seen whether the alcohol industry will be applying QR codes on cartons of bottles or bottles as well. Besides, it will increase the cost to manufacturer, which he will have to recover from the end consumer. So, all these details will have to be considered before the final implementation.
D’Souza added, “After the budget, we will have a meeting with finance ministry and alcohol manufacturers to finalise the details of the scheme”
Goa imports ethanol from other states, which goes in the manufacturing of all alcoholic beverages. The ethanol travels from other states gets bottled in Goa. This is where unscrupulous elements take advantage.
Due to lesser taxes in Goa, alcoholic beverages are much cheaper in Goa than in neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka.
This offers a chance to these unscrupulous elements to ship ethanol into Goa get it bottled here, pay less taxes to Goa government, and finally sell it at a much higher price outside Goa.
Making spurious liquor will become difficult when authentication symbols like QR codes are implemented because it will not be possible to fake such codes.
