Black Market and Other Social Offenses and Punishment Act, 2032

What does it do?

• The Act punishes black-marketeering: selling goods above a price fixed by the government (or, for goods named in the Gazette, above the producer's or importer's price), reselling scarce goods or ration coupons at a premium, and reselling entertainment or transport tickets above face value — with up to one year's prison, confiscation and fines of up to Rs 1 million. The government may form price-fixing advisory committees. The separate profiteering offence (Section 3) was removed by the 2081 amendment.सरकारले तोकेको मूल्य (वा राजपत्रमा तोकिएका वस्तुमा उत्पादक वा आयातकले तोकेको मूल्य) भन्दा बढीमा बिक्री गर्ने, अभावका वस्तु वा आदेश कुपन बढी मोलमा बेच्ने, र मनोरञ्जन वा यातायातको टिकट बढी मोलमा बेच्नेलाई कालोबजारी मानी एक वर्षसम्म कैद, मालसामान जफत र दश लाखसम्म जरिवाना हुनसक्छ। मूल्य निर्धारणका लागि सरकारले सल्लाहकार समिति बनाउन सक्छ। नाफाखोरीसम्बन्धी दफा ३ लाई २०८१ को संशोधनले झिकेको छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Section 2, pp. 2–3; Section 3 (removed), p. 3
• It also punishes diverting quota goods away from the district they were allocated to (up to one year or Rs 250,000), hoarding to create artificial shortage (up to one year or Rs 250,000; up to Rs 1 million for producers, importers or main distributors of goods declared essential), passing off adulterated or inferior goods (up to nine months or Rs 200,000), and adulterating medicines or selling expired or fake medicines (up to life imprisonment if life is endangered). Retailers must display price lists for goods the government names.कोटाका वस्तु तोकिएको जिल्लाबाहिर लैजाने (एक वर्षसम्म कैद वा २ लाख ५० हजारसम्म जरिवाना), कृत्रिम अभाव सिर्जना गर्न जम्माखोरी गर्ने (एक वर्षसम्म कैद वा २ लाख ५० हजार; अति आवश्यक वस्तुमा उत्पादक, आयातक वा मुख्य वितरकलाई १० लाखसम्म), कमसल वा मिसावटयुक्त माल झुक्याएर बेच्ने (नौ महिनासम्म कैद वा २ लाखसम्म), र औषधिमा मिसावट गर्ने वा म्याद नाघेको वा नक्कली औषधि बेच्नेलाई (ज्यान जोखिममा परे जन्मकैदसम्म) सजाय हुन्छ। सरकारले तोकेका वस्तुको मूल्यसूची पसलमा टाँस्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Section 3(3)–Section 7, pp. 4–5
• Police officers down to inspector, the Chief District Officer or officials named by the government may arrest and search; cases are filed by the government only with the approval of the designated official, within 90 days. Medicine-adulteration cases are heard by the district court and all others by the Chief District Officer (appeal to the district court within 35 days). Small first-time street retailers may be let off with a warning and repayment of the excess profit. Informants receive 25 percent of the fine.निरीक्षकसम्मका प्रहरी अधिकृत, प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी वा सरकारले तोकेको अधिकारीले पक्राउ र खानतलासी गर्न सक्छन्; मुद्दा तोकिएको अधिकारीको स्वीकृतिमा ९० दिनभित्र सरकारवादी भई दायर हुन्छ। औषधि मिसावटको मुद्दा जिल्ला अदालतले र अरू मुद्दा प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीले हेर्छन् (३५ दिनभित्र जिल्ला अदालतमा पुनरावेदन)। सडकपेटीका साना खुद्रा व्यापारीले पहिलो पटक कसुर गरे बढी लिएको नाफा फिर्ता गराई चेतावनी दिएर छाड्न सकिन्छ। सूचना दिनेलाई जरिवानाको २५ प्रतिशत इनाम दिइन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 10, 13–15, 20, pp. 6–8
• Directors or managers of a company that commits an offence are liable unless they show they did not know or tried to prevent it; a person jailed for more than six months is barred for five years from government service, contracts and licences; the court may order the offender's name to be published. The Act does not stop prosecution under other laws for the same act.कम्पनीले कसुर गरेमा थाहा नभएको वा रोक्न प्रयास गरेको प्रमाणित गर्न नसके सञ्चालक वा महाप्रबन्धक जिम्मेवार हुन्छन्; छ महिनाभन्दा बढी कैद भएका व्यक्ति पाँच वर्षसम्म सरकारी सेवा, ठेक्का वा इजाजत लिन अयोग्य हुन्छन्; निर्णय गर्नेले दोषीको नाम सार्वजनिक गराउन सक्छ। एउटै कामलाई अन्य कानूनअनुसार पनि मुद्दा चलाउन यो ऐनले बाधा पुर्‍याउँदैन। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 9, 12, 16, 21, pp. 5–8

Where does it conflict with other laws?

• मुलुकी अपराध संहिता, २०७४
  The HLERC report documents that the Criminal Code covers adulteration, deceptive sale and hoarding of consumer goods — the same conduct this Act punishes — so the same act can be prosecuted under more than one law.उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोगको प्रतिवेदनअनुसार मुलुकी अपराध संहिताले पनि मिसावट, झुक्याएर बिक्री र जम्माखोरी समेटेकाले एउटै कामलाई एकभन्दा बढी कानूनअन्तर्गत मुद्दा चलाउन सकिने अवस्था छ। High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance Legal reform chapter, para 6, PDF p. 152 (printed p. 85)
• उपभोक्ता संरक्षण ऐन, २०७५
  The HLERC report states that the Consumer Protection Act 2075 prohibits unfair trade practices with provisions better than this Act's provisions on profiteering, diversion, hoarding and adulteration.उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोगको प्रतिवेदनअनुसार उपभोक्ता संरक्षण ऐन, २०७५ ले अनुचित व्यापारिक क्रियाकलाप निषेध गर्ने जुन व्यवस्था गरेको छ, त्यो यस ऐनका नाफाखोरी, विचलन, जम्माखोरी र मिसावटसम्बन्धी व्यवस्थाभन्दा राम्रो छ। High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance Legal reform chapter, para 6, PDF pp. 151–152 (printed pp. 84–85)

Open questions for lawmakers

Research candidates on possible conflicts, gaps or loopholes involving this law. Not legal findings: each awaits qualified legal review.

• Hoarding, adulteration and deceptive sale: the same conduct punished under the Black-Market Act, the Consumer Protection Act and the Criminal Code