- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०७५ BS
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड ८: उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति · Volume 8: Industry, Commerce and Supply
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- Every consumer has the right to safe, quality goods and services at fair prices, to information about them, to be heard, and to compensation for harm. Producers, importers, transporters, storers, sellers and service providers each have duties: goods must meet quality standards, carry labels in Nepali or English showing ingredients, price, batch, manufacture and expiry dates, and be stored and sold lawfully; sellers must give bills and display price lists and registration certificates, and buyers may return goods in prescribed cases.हरेक उपभोक्तालाई सुरक्षित र गुणस्तरीय वस्तु तथा सेवा उचित मूल्यमा पाउने, तिनबारे सूचना पाउने, आफ्नो कुरा सुनाउने र हानि–नोक्सानीको क्षतिपूर्ति पाउने अधिकार छ। उत्पादक, पैठारीकर्ता, ढुवानीकर्ता, सञ्चयकर्ता, बिक्रेता र सेवा प्रदायक सबैका दायित्व तोकिएका छन्: वस्तु गुणस्तरअनुसार हुनुपर्छ, नेपाली वा अङ्ग्रेजीमा तत्व, मूल्य, ब्याच, उत्पादन र म्याद सकिने मिति खुलेको लेबल हुनुपर्छ, र कानूनबमोजिम सञ्चय र बिक्री गर्नुपर्छ; बिक्रेताले बिल दिनुपर्छ, मूल्यसूची र दर्ता प्रमाणपत्र राख्नुपर्छ, र तोकिएका अवस्थामा खरिदकर्ताले वस्तु फिर्ता गर्न पाउँछ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 3, 5–15, 20, pp. 4–11, 15
- The Act bans unfair trade practices such as adulteration, misleading advertising, false weights, hoarding, creating artificial shortages, cartels and price manipulation. The Government may publish a list of essential foods, goods and services and fix price standards. A Consumer Protection Council chaired by the Minister for Commerce advises on policy, and central, provincial and local market-monitoring committees and teams oversee markets.मिसावट, भ्रामक विज्ञापन, कम तौल, सञ्चय गरी कृत्रिम अभाव सिर्जना, कार्टेलिङ र मूल्यमा हेरफेरजस्ता अनुचित व्यापारिक काम ऐनले निषेध गर्छ। नेपाल सरकारले अत्यावश्यक खाद्य, वस्तु र सेवाको सूची प्रकाशित गर्न र मूल्यको मापदण्ड तोक्न सक्छ। वाणिज्यमन्त्रीको अध्यक्षतामा रहने उपभोक्ता संरक्षण परिषद्ले नीतिगत सल्लाह दिन्छ, र केन्द्रीय, प्रदेश तथा स्थानीय बजार अनुगमन समिति र टोलीले बजार अनुगमन गर्छन्। Nepal Law Commission Sections 16–29, pp. 11–20
- The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection and its inspection officers may inspect premises, test and seize goods, destroy substandard goods, and impose on-the-spot fines (for example Rs 200,000–300,000 for some offences, doubled for repeat offences), with review by the Director General. The Director General may impose prison terms of up to one year and fines; the most serious offences, decided by courts, carry two to five years' imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 600,000. The Government of Nepal prosecutes, and informants are rewarded.वाणिज्य, आपूर्ति तथा उपभोक्ता संरक्षण विभाग र यसका निरीक्षण अधिकृतले पसल–गोदाम निरीक्षण गर्न, वस्तु परीक्षण र जफत गर्न, कमसल वस्तु नष्ट गर्न र तत्काल जरिवाना गर्न सक्छन् (जस्तै केही कसूरमा दुई लाखदेखि तीन लाख रुपैयाँसम्म, दोहोर्याएमा दोब्बर), जसको पुनरावलोकन महानिर्देशकले गर्छन्। महानिर्देशकले एक वर्षसम्म कैद र जरिवाना गर्न सक्छन्; सबैभन्दा गम्भीर कसूरमा अदालतबाट दुईदेखि पाँच वर्षसम्म कैद र छ लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना हुन्छ। मुद्दा नेपाल सरकार वादी भई चल्छ र सूचना दिनेलाई पुरस्कार दिइन्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 30–40, 56, 58, pp. 21–27, 32
- Special consumer courts may be set up by Government notice; until they are formed, district courts hear consumer cases. A consumer harmed by goods or services that breach the Act can claim compensation, and the court sets the amount using prescribed standards. Appeals against consumer-court decisions go to the High Court within 35 days.नेपाल सरकारले सूचना प्रकाशित गरी उपभोक्ता अदालत गठन गर्न सक्छ; त्यस्तो अदालत गठन नभएसम्म उपभोक्तासम्बन्धी मुद्दा जिल्ला अदालतले हेर्छ। ऐनविपरीतका वस्तु वा सेवाबाट हानि भएका उपभोक्ताले क्षतिपूर्ति दाबी गर्न सक्छन्, र अदालतले तोकिएको मापदण्डअनुसार रकम निर्धारण गर्छ। उपभोक्ता अदालतको निर्णयउपर पैँतीस दिनभित्र उच्च अदालतमा पुनरावेदन लाग्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 41, 45, 48, 50–52, pp. 27–31
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Not enforced The Auditor General found that in FY 2081/82 the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection imposed on-the-spot fines of Rs 8.306 million on 76 firms under Section 39 of the Act, but none of that amount had been collected.महालेखापरीक्षकले आर्थिक वर्ष २०८१/८२ मा वाणिज्य, आपूर्ति तथा उपभोक्ता संरक्षण विभागले ऐनको दफा ३९ बमोजिम ७६ फर्मलाई रु. ८३ लाख ६ हजार तत्काल जरिवाना गरे पनि उक्त रकम असुल नभएको उल्लेख गरेको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission OAG 63rd report, para 31, PDF p. 222 (printed p. 190); Act Section 39, p. 25
- Capacity The Auditor General reported that e-commerce transactions have no separate business code and that foreign e-commerce sites selling into Nepal are not registered in Nepal, so the price and quality of goods and services sold online cannot be effectively monitored; it said monitoring of e-commerce should be made effective to protect consumers.महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार विद्युतीय व्यापारका कारोबारको छुट्टै व्यावसायिक कोड नभएकोले र नेपालमा कारोबार गर्ने विदेशी ई–कमर्स साइटहरू नेपालमा दर्ता नभएकोले अनलाइनबाट बिक्री हुने वस्तु तथा सेवाको मूल्य र गुणस्तरको निगरानी प्रभावकारी हुन सकेको छैन; उपभोक्ता हित संरक्षणका लागि अनुगमन प्रभावकारी बनाउनुपर्ने प्रतिवेदनमा उल्लेख छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 63rd report, para 30, PDF p. 221 (printed p. 189)
Ideas to fix it
- The Auditor General recommended recovering the outstanding consumer-protection fines and making market monitoring, including of e-commerce, more effective.महालेखापरीक्षकले बाँकी रहेको उपभोक्ता संरक्षणसम्बन्धी जरिवाना असुल गर्न र विद्युतीय व्यापारसमेतको बजार अनुगमन प्रभावकारी बनाउन सुझाव दिएको छ। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.
Open questions for lawmakers
Research candidates on possible conflicts, gaps or loopholes involving this law. Not legal findings: each awaits qualified legal review.
Regulations and rules made under it
- उपभोक्ता संरक्षण नियमावली, २०७६ In force