There are still nearly 2 months until Lunar New Year 2020, but at this time items for Tet holiday have been stocked for sale by markets, supermarkets, and trade centers. Notably, the prevention of frauds and counterfeits is being strengthened by authorities and localities.
Market management forces inspect goods at markets in Dau Tieng district. Image: PINK RUSSIA
Localities soon set up plans
In order to keep the market healthy, at the beginning of Nov 2019, the Steering Committee against smuggling, trade frauds and counterfeits (Steering Committee 389) of Dau Tieng district built a plan and strengthened inspection forces at enterprises, production and business establishments in the area. In particular, the Steering Committee focused on checking the enforcement of price listing, selling price meeting listed price, food safety and hygiene of some items that often increase sharply at the end of the year, such as wine, beer, soft drinks, cigarettes, confectionery...
Along with the inspection and control, branches and localities in the district have promoted propagation to raise people and businesses' awareness of combating smuggled goods, poor quality goods and commercial frauds; recommended that people buy goods in reputable places, do not buy goods with unknown origin. In addition, authorities in the district signed commitments with production and business establishments to ensuring timely supply of products to serve people demands.
Based on forecasts, analysis of market situation and developments at the end of the year, the 389 Steering Committee of the district enhanced the implementation of measures to manage, stabilize the market. In addition, the Steering Committee assigned officials to be on duty regularly on Tet holiday to monitor market developments, commodity prices, detect outstanding issues to take timely measures.
Nguyễn Thị Lan, Head of Health Office of Dau Tieng district, recommended that people should carefully check the origin, expiry date of products printed on packaging. Due to the fact that, to sell expired products, some sellers often make eye-catching gift packages to deceive buyers. Besides, people should choose to buy products from reputable manufacturers, because the situation of food hygiene and safety is quite complicated, many food processing facilities use chemical additives for preservation that are not on the list of Ministry of Health.
In Phu Giao district, Trần Hồng Dung, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, said that in order to create favorable conditions for people to have safe, healthy, economical Tet holiday, right from the beginning of Nov, the District People's Committee had assigned agencies to formulate plans for activities celebrating the Party and the Spring. In particular, the district pays special attention to the management of markets, quality and prices of goods. Based on the general plan, the District People's Committee directed economic, police, market management, health agencies and localities to develop specific plans, organize commodity price management activities, situation of commodity trading in the district.
According to Phạm Văn Chớ, Head of Phuoc Vinh Market Management Board (Phuoc Vinh Town, Phu Giao), at the end of the year, his unit often informs small traders in the market about ensuring the source of Tet goods, as well as quality, price of goods. The unit also strengthened the inspection of goods trading activities of small businesses, required small businesses to comply with regulations on goods trading and strictly handled violations of commitments.
Market stabilization program to be well implemented
Hồ Văn Bình, Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said the department worked with commodity suppliers in the province and localities to ensure the source of goods to meet people demands on Tet holiday and the whole 2020. Accordingly, the department required stocking goods to stabilize the market to ensure quality, food safety and hygiene. The implementation of the plan on goods stocking and supply must be linked to the campaign of "Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods".
In addition, the department cooperated with branches, businesses and localities to well organize distribution system from the province down to grassroots to stimulate consumption of people. The department also has plans to connect large companies, businesses, supermarkets, shopping centers, traditional markets to have a stockpile plan, and plans to directly support shops and cooperatives in distribution of goods.
Department of Industry and Trade also required businesses to control prices to maintain a common price level of essential goods, ensuring stabilized price to be lower from 5 to 10% compared to the market price from time to time. The Department also required businesses participating in the program to set up and register selling price of each specific item in the commodity group to stabilize the market, and send it to Department of Finance and Department of Industry and Trade with a lower price compared to the price of products having same specifications, types and quality at the time of registration. In case the market fluctuates in respect of raw material and input costs, which affect the production cost structure, enterprises shall adjust their stabilized prices and re-register their prices at Department of Finance, Department of Industry and Trade.
An enterprise may only increase stabilized price when it is accepted by the competent agency; and then actively adjust the selling price, notify it to Department of Finance and Department of Industry and Trade within 3 days from the date of approval. In case the market has virtual fluctuations, leading to fake scarcity, enterprises must abide by the agreements on goods supply under the coordination of Department of Industry and Trade.
As planned, there will be 12 enterprises, supermarkets, trade centers, 9 departments and branches participating in the market stabilization program on occasion of Lunar New Year 2020. The implementation period starts from 1 Dec 2019 to Feb 2020. The total value of stabilized goods on this occasion is expected to be over VND 1,463 billion.
Reported by T.My, T.Huynh, H.Nga, H.Phuong - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
