Holograms on Goa liquor needed
to avoid adulteration: ASPA
The Goan Network
PANAJI
“22 states in India have made it compulsory to use holograms on liquor. But, Goa government hasn’t done so”, said UK Gupta, president, Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA). Holograms are a symbol of authentication, which manufacturers use on their products to make sure that no one can fake them thereby causing damage to human lives.
A number of alcoholic brands are manufactured in Goa. Besides, alcohol is cheaper in Goa than other states leading to high consumption by locals and tourists. The central government and Goa government haven’t done much to tackle this serious problem. This is the result that hooch tragedies are common throughout the country, wherein spurious alcohol is consumed by unsuspecting consumers resulting in loss of lives.
Gupta further said, “Three years back, Goa government had initiated the process of improving authentication systems in the state, but nothing has happened on it yet." A combination of holograms, bar codes and other strategies like writing codes on products, which can be sent through an SMS to a number to check the authentication of product is the need of the day.
The problem is not just limited to liquor as a consumer buys number of products from the market, from food products to pharmaceuticals to electronics, on a daily basis. The consumer, in most cases, isn’t aware that counterfeiting is one of the most serious issues plaguing Indian market for decades now.
Central government’s lethargic approach towards authentication becomes ironic in the light of the fact that PAN cards and voters’ identification cards carry a hologram, while the government hasn’t made it mandatory for companies to do so on their products. Holograms don’t cost more than a few paisas, which being the reason the central government can afford them on documents it provides to people. This means even private companies can easily afford putting a hologram on their products.
In its press release, ASPA said, the loss to industries in India due to fake products was a whopping Rs 1,054 billion in FY 2013-14, which was 44% up in a matter of two years. The loss is not just to industries but it is also to the government. Anyone faking an authentic product does not pay any sort of tax.
Liquor is a state subject and every state has a different excise rate and regime for this industry. Not just that, liquor’s contribution to any state’s exchequer is huge. Given that, it is in Goa’s government interest to implement a better authentication regime in alcohol industry. The loss is at several levels with the most important being that of loss of human life, then tax loss to the government and finally loss to industries.
ASPA is an association of companies which manufacture authentication solutions. It is self-regulated and non-profit organization.
