Small jewellers say that complying with the deadline is not easy.
Gurugram: Small jewellers in the city are finding it difficult to comply with the Bureau of Indian Standard’s (BIS) decision to hallmark gold jewellery and artefacts within June 15.
Amit Jindal, a member of the Gurugram Jewellers Association, said that most of the small jewellers don’t have a license to follow the hallmark guidelines given by the government. “The big jewellers in the city are already working as per the hallmark guidelines, and have been selling hallmarked jewellery for 20 years now. But this is specifically for the small jewellers. They don’t even have a license, how will they comply with the hallmark guidelines?” he asked.
A jeweller who wishes to sell hallmarked gold jewellery or artefacts must get a BIS license for the specific premises of a jewellery shop. The licence is issued to jewellers who follow the guidelines issued by the government, including equipment for testing the purity of the metal.
He applauded the government’s decision on mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery but said that the process to obtain a license is not smooth. “The government has done a good job by making the hallmark mandatory as it will prevent frauds. But for that, the person should have a license first, obtaining which is not a smooth process. Most of the small jewelers are not educated, they find it difficult to use the online registration process on the BIS website.”
Praveen Kumar, owner of JP Jewellers in Sadar Bazar, said that the government has made it mandatory but there will be a problem in processing. “After the lockdown restrictions ease, we can think of implementing the order. The secondary issue is the centres. There is just one hallmarking centre in Gurugram.”
Janaki Ram, retired professor and Head of Department, Master of Business Administration at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology said that mandatory hallmarking is a good move from the point of view of customers. “But if we look from the trader’s point of view, this is a problem for small traders because the big traders have already got the karat testing meter in the shop itself to decide the purity of gold whereas small traders don’t have such a facility. So establishing such facilities needs time and investment,”
He added that the probable solution is that all the small traders should join together and appeal to the government to extend the time limit given.
Remarking on the need for mandatory hallmarking, BIS officials said in an article that mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage and ensure consumers are not cheated and get the purity as marked on the ornaments.
The government has extended the implementation of hallmarking of gold jewellery to June 15, 2021. Earlier the government had set the date to make the selling of hallmarked gold compulsory from June 1, 2021.
