 MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA |
Pretty good. We have managed to stay put and earn the trust of our consumers even at a bleak time for the country.
How much respect has the company gained?
The communities we are working in have always appreciated and encouraged us. But the fourth estate of the nation, the media, should evaluate us fairly. Dabur has invested Rs 2.5 billion in Nepal and has helped promote Nepal for the last 20 years by exporting products made here. Dabur Nepal's juice plant is among the seven best for tetra packs in the world. These packs are used not just for packaging juice but also for packaging milk and cream, which get spoiled even sooner.
Then why is the quality of your products being questioned?
The raw materials go through at least 73 quality controls before they go outside as products. So the accusations made against us are baseless. The Food and Quality Control Department has been conducting quality tests of our products at least once a month for years now.
What do you think led to this problem?
The problem is of governance. Can a single entity have the right to launch a case, hand down verdicts and take action in a democratic society? If Nepal is the only country where this is happening, this is something everyone should think about stopping.
This case also shows how incomplete news can create big problems. The Food and Quality Control Department has already presented its report, saying there is nothing wrong with the quality of Real juice.
How much has this scandal discouraged you?
We are disheartened to an extent. Everyone who is interested in the industrial development of Nepal should have been at least impartial if not sympathetic toward us. But we were made victims of outright bad publicity. If they didn't have any prejudice against us, they should have at least publicised the matter after investigating it. What is the value of the 20 years worth of hard work we put into the industrial development of Nepal? Of course our sentiments have been hurt.
Could you have ignored the matter?
Our corporate discipline does not let us ignore the questions raised against our products. We had to speak in order to clear facts and convey the truth to our consumers. Otherwise, we would have never had to offer clarifications regarding our high-tech machines and production process.
How will Nepal's industrial environment be affected by the Dabur case?
All the industries in India are closely observing our situation in Nepal. We are also influential members of India's FICCI and CNI. Also, everyone who intends to invest in Nepal does not do so without consulting Dabur Nepal, Unilever, Surya Nepal, and Asian Paints. When multinational companies get into trouble, won't the industrial environment of the country suffer?
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