Due to the influence of Covid-19, provincial Department of Industry and Trade actively developed a plan to ask localities and businesses to have responding plans for market movements, to preserve market stability.
Stock increases
According to Department of Industry and Trade, the plan for stocking essential goods to cope with the epidemic has been well implemented by participant units. Department of Industry and Trade directly checked and urged distribution enterprises in the province to implement plans to ensure the supply of goods to the market. Accordingly, 12 enterprises (10 supermarkets) participated in the reserve of essential goods, including: Food (rice, glutinous rice), processed foods (sugar, milk, MSG, cooking oil, dipping sauce, soft drinks, confectionery), fresh food (cattle meat, poultry meat, chicken eggs, duck eggs, vegetables, fruits), petroleum products, medicines for people. These enterprises implemented the stabilizing program and maintained stable commodity prices.
Rice supply is guaranteed
Enterprises participating in this program actively signed contracts with suppliers to promptly ensure reserves, quantity and quality of goods, fix prices and sell at fixed prices. 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.
According to Ho Van Binh, Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade, distributors forecast that the increasing demand for goods during the epidemic season, thus supermarkets have stocking plans for this. Namely, Big C supermarket tripled its stock at warehouses to supply to the market; Saigon Co.op supermarket system increased 50-100% of its supply ; Vinmart supermarket system also increased from 50 to 200% its supply. Other distribution businesses such as Lotte Mart, MM Megamarket said that the supply of essential food products within their system was still guaranteed with stable price, thanks to the active cooperation with farmers and attainment of sources from other provinces and cities. Currently, vegetables, fruits, rice, noodles, meat, spices... are being provided and sold in supermarkets with large quantities, fixed prices compared to the previous month; there is no shortage of goods or price fever.
Hoang Long, Director of Co.op supermarket, affirmed that the current trading activities are taking place as usual. Sales volume increases by about 10% on weekdays, up 200% on weekends. Supply of essential food products and consumer goods meet well people's demands.
The market is stabilized
According to Department of Industry and Trade, the goods supply in the province is stable. The Department continued to work with major distributors such as Saigon Co.op, VinMart, Big C, and manufacturers to have plans for filling the supply of essential goods. Mr. Binh said, people should be assured of the supply of essential goods, including rice, noodles...
Essential food, foodstuff and reserves increased by 30-50%. Rice, meat, processed foods, vegetables, fruits, and cooking oil increased by 40%. At conventional markets in the area, the quantity and price of food items are not much volatile. In the coming time, functional agencies will continue to keep abreast of market developments, directly inspect, assist distributors to strengthen their supply, distribution, and retail selling of goods to the people. Department of Industry and Trade and provincial authorities will also regularly inspect and strictly handle cases of illegitimate intentional hoarding, speculation, and price increase. “People are assured of the supply capacity of the market, especially rice. During this time, people need to be calm, join hands to prevent epidemic, should not stockpile goods, avoid gathering in crowded places to prevent disease spreading, protect the health of ourselves and the community”, said Mr. Binh.
At present, communication is carried out in order for people understand and not to store up goods. Retailers in the area also helped calm consumers down. To ensure the goods supply and reassure consumers, shopping centers and supermarkets regularly announce the situation of goods and prices to consumers on loudspeakers. Shopping centers also opened channels so that customers are able to buy goods from home, limiting traveling during the epidemic time.
Reported by Tieu My - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
