Government Initiates Development of ‘eMaap’ to Promote Fair Trade and Safeguard Consumers

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Government Initiates Development of ‘eMaap’ to Promote Fair Trade and Safeguard Consumers

New Delhi, Dec 4 (NationPress) In a bid to ensure fair trade and protect consumers, the government revealed on Wednesday its plans to create the National Legal Metrology Portal, known as eMaap. This initiative will unify state legal metrology departments and their respective portals into a single, national system.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is spearheading this effort, which seeks to optimize procedures for issuing licenses, performing verifications, and managing enforcement and compliance.

By establishing a centralized database, eMaap removes the necessity for stakeholders to register on various state portals, thereby enhancing the ease of conducting business and ensuring transparency in trade practices, as stated by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

At present, state governments operate individual portals for the registration of packaged goods, licensing, and the verification/stamping of weighing and measuring devices.

However, many enforcement activities and the compounding of offences are not yet digitized.

To address this, the Department of Consumer Affairs is working to integrate all state portals into eMaap, which will encompass all aspects of legal metrology, including enforcement, and facilitate the creation of a unified database.

This portal will alleviate compliance burdens for traders and industries, reduce paperwork, and ensure timely adherence to the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and its associated rules, fostering a transparent and favorable business environment.

Furthermore, the portal is anticipated to significantly enhance manufacturing growth by promoting efficiency and accountability, according to government sources.

“For consumers, eMaap guarantees that trade instruments are verified for accuracy, boosting confidence in market transactions. It provides a transparent legal metrology system, allowing straightforward access to certificates and encouraging awareness of rights and responsibilities,” the government added.

This initiative followed a series of consultations with key stakeholders, including industry representatives and associations, as well as members from state legal metrology departments.

eMaap simplifies essential processes such as issuing, renewing, and modifying licenses, as well as managing verification and stamping of weighing and measuring devices, registration certificates, and appeals, among other functions.