Ensuring adequate supply of textbooks, notebooks, school supplies; selling items for learning activities with 10 - 15% discount; expanding the distribution network throughout the province… are the aim of businesses participating in the price-stabilized program at the new school year 2016-2017.
Parents bought textbooks at a selling location in TDM City
Preparing adequate goods and items
Although the 2015-2016 school year has not ended yet, the price-stabilized program for textbooks, notebooks, school supplies has now the participation of 3 companies: Binh Duong Culture and Trade JSC, Binh Duong Books – Educational Equipment JSC, Ho Chi Minh Book Distribution JSC (Fahasa).
At Binh Duong Books – Educational Equipment JSC, goods were assembled into warehouses. Ms. Do Thi Nu, Deputy Head of Sales Department, said from the beginning of April, the company had prepared adequate goods in order to timely meet student’s demands. This year, the goods amount for the new school year increased 20% over the same period last year. By the end of April, the company imported a total of over 1.8 million textbooks at all levels, hundreds of thousand notebooks, and thousands of learning items worth totally nearly VND15 billion (approximately preferential loan plan of the province). These items are sold through stores, dealers across provinces with 10% lower price for and 15% for notebooks. At present, the company prepared fully goods for market stabilization.
According to Mr. Hoang The Vu, Head of Sales Department of Binh Duong Culture and Trade JSC, after planning for additional elements, the projected budget of this year was nearly VND17 billion for reserving goods for the new school year; in which stabilized items, like textbooks, notebooks, school supplies, accounted for nearly VND15 billion, nearly doubling the amount of the previous year. Selling locations also increased from 7 to 15. Currently, goods arrived in warehouses, the company is ready to serve parents, students.
Mr. Ho Van Binh, Deputy Director of Department of Trade and Industry said, based on reports and capital demands of the 3 above companies, the province agreed to grant loans worth VND23 billion with preferential interest rate of 0% to 2 companies. This year, the units will be responsible for organizing the distribution system at 124 selling points, including additional points in remote areas. Thus, the goods volume of the market stabilization program at the new school year has basically served well students’ demands for textbooks, notebooks, school supplies with reasonable prices.
Overcoming shortcomings
It can be seen, the active supply of textbooks, notebooks and price reduction of companies, bookstores in the province have been effectively implemented, achieved goals and received good responses from the people. The 10%-discount price has helped poor families in rural areas, workers of industrial zones to save money. However, according to many parents, stabilization program of textbooks still has some limitations that need adjustments to achieve higher results.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Yen, parents of a pupil of Chanh My primary school (Chanh My ward, TDM City), said thanks to the market stabilization program, she was able to take her child shopping any time without worrying about the price increase. However, at the new school year opening, parents usually cannot find books required by schools.
“I hope that the authorities, companies would survey and understand market demands to avoid shortages of some kinds of textbooks, causing difficulties to parents”, said Ms. Yen.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai in Phu Hoa ward, TDM City, said that the price stabilization had helped to reduce the burden for many families. However, discarding some bought textbooks being inappropriate for the learning program causes wastes to the society. Last year, at the beginning of summer, she bought a full set of textbooks, reference books according to the overall program of Educational Publishing House, but then the school required other textbooks. She hoped that the educational sector would select textbooks, which can meet the provision of knowledge to students and save parents more money in the best way.
Reported by Truc Huynh – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
