VIJAYAWADA: Gold and jewellery shops at One Town, Governorpet among others remained shut on Monday opposing implementation of Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
The one-day strike by the jewellers and gold traders in the city was total. Bezawada Jewellers’ and Bullion Merchants’ Association secretary KSR Naidu said that the new HUID rule is not practical and cannot be implemented.
“The gold and jewellery traders across the country are facing a tough time due to the impact on their business due to Covid-19. Instead of considering our plight, the central government is asking the gold traders to register the shop’s names with the Bureau of Indian Standards’ (BIS) and sell only hallmarked gold jewellery,” Naidu says. He also pointed out that the HUID system, which was made mandatory by the since June 16 along with the BIS hallmarking, has adversely affected the jewellery business.
Besides, registering with BIS is a costly affair and many small and medium traders are not in a position to implement the orders of the Centre. Though hallmark is beneficial to the customers, but under the present scenario, it is not conducive to implement the new code, Naidu felt.