Hyderabad, June 30 -- Telangana Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker J. Ram Chander Naik on Tuesday called for a coordinated effort by governments, enforcement agencies, industry and citizens to combat smuggling and counterfeiting, describing illicit trade as a major threat to the economy, businesses and consumer safety.
Addressing a seminar on "Illicit Trade: A Unified Approach to Counter Smuggling and Counterfeiting", organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry CASCADE in Hyderabad, he said counterfeit goods and smuggling reduce government revenue, create unfair competition, endanger consumers and often support organised crime.
He stressed the need to leverage technologies such as QR code verification, digital...