Companies unable to put MRP on labels could list prices on websites: PM adviser

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed his administration to resolve complaints from businesses arising after the mandatory inclusion of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on product labels, his Economic and Development Adviser, Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, said.  

Dr Khatiwada was speaking at an interaction programme organised by Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NAFTA) in Kathmandu, which brought together various stakeholders to discuss difficulties following the new MRP requirement.  

Suggesting practical remedies, Dr Khatiwada said companies unable to display MRP on individual labels could list prices on their websites. He emphasised that sudden, significant changes often meet resistance and recommended phased compliance rather than immediate amendments. He also called for flexibility from implementing agencies.  

He stressed that small items should not be subjected to onerous MRP checks and urged the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection to reassure traders: “The department must guarantee it will not seek stickers on small items.” He further advised the department to avoid interference in areas overseen by other regulators.  

Addressing the programme, Kumar Prasad Dahal, director general of department, asserted that MRP stickers need only appear on the outer packaging of small items. He added that the requirement applies solely to goods displayed in outlets, not to stocks in godowns, and that following the repeal of the 20% profit cap there is no upper limit on MRP. Bills and receipts must be issued for every sale.

NAFTA Secretary General Jayant Kumar Agrawal called for mandatory MRP labelling to be confined to basic necessities and introduced gradually, warning that broader rules would raise costs for businesses and consumers. NAFTA President Shiv Kumar Agrawal said the programme aimed to identify measures to facilitate smoother MRP compliance.