Hanoi: Determined to push back against counterfeit and poor quality goods

Since the beginning of the year, the functional forces of Hanoi city have achieved many results in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud. In particular, the city has promptly handled many cases of production and trade of fake milk, medicine, food, functional foods; trading of goods with signs of counterfeiting famous brands... Many serious violations have been discovered and handled, creating a social effect, recognized and highly appreciated by public opinion.

4,263 violations were processed.

According to Mr. Duong Manh Hung, Deputy Head of the Hanoi Market Management Department, the department has intensified inspections and controls on food safety, especially during peak months. However, with the rapid increase and diversity of products, the authorities face many challenges in the inspection and handling process.

Typical examples include the discovery of violations at a confectionery production facility in La Phu, now part of An Khanh commune. During the inspection, the unit seized over 23,000 products. All of these products showed signs of violating origin regulations. In the second case, during inspections of five rice businesses in Hanoi, the Market Management Department discovered and temporarily seized 2.5 tons of rice suspected of being counterfeit. In the third case, concerning milk products, the Department discovered 3,000 cans of unlabeled powdered milk. Additionally, the Department found thousands of boxes and bags of milk with altered or erased expiration dates. All of these cases were transferred by the Market Management Department to the police for investigation and handling.

These are just a few typical cases among the 4,263 incidents that Hanoi's market management force has inspected, handled, and transferred 78 cases with signs of criminal activity to the police for investigation since the beginning of the year. The total amount collected for the state budget reached 90.57 billion VND, equivalent to 125.71% of the annual target.

Authorities inspected Mr. Le Van Viet's water production facility in Phu Dong commune.

In October alone, the city's market management force inspected and handled 723 cases, transferred 21 cases to the investigative agency, and collected 12.6 billion VND for the state budget. These figures demonstrate the great efforts of the entire force in the context of the complex developments in the goods market in the last months of the year, especially regarding the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard goods, commercial fraud, and violations of food safety regulations.

According to Deputy Head of the Market Management Department, Duong Manh Hung, the Department issues and implements food safety assurance plans annually throughout the area. Especially during peak periods for food safety such as Tet (Lunar New Year), Spring Festival, Food Safety Action Month, and Mid-Autumn Festival, the Department establishes inter-agency food safety inspection teams and conducts surprise inspections of compliance with food safety laws at organizations and individuals involved in food production, processing, and trading.

Through surprise inspections and strict handling of violations, many cases have been transferred to the police for investigation, and the list of violating establishments has been made public to increase deterrence. Some cases discovered have caused a public outcry, such as the case of Nguyen Ninh rice cake establishment (Hang Than Street, Hoan Kiem District), and confectionery in La Phu (now part of An Khanh commune)... These serve as a wake-up call for businesses that have not fully complied with food safety regulations.

Undeniably, surprise inspections and strict handling of violations have contributed to raising awareness among food production and business establishments. For example, after being found to have violations by an inter-agency inspection team, the Nguyen Ninh rice cake facility underwent a fundamental change in its mindset and proactively rectified the issues comprehensively to be allowed to resume operations. At the same time, these inspections have also contributed to changing consumer awareness in choosing and using safe food products.

An urgent, ongoing, and long-term strategic task.

Hanoi is a major commercial center and a hub for many reputable domestic and international brands. Without decisive action to combat counterfeit goods, the reputation of Vietnamese products will gradually erode, causing immeasurable losses. Therefore, more than ever, the task of "cleaning up" the market needs to be considered an urgent, continuous, and long-term strategic priority.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Doanh, from Fucoidan Japan Company in Hanoi, shared that as a pharmaceutical import business, Fucoidan Japan Company has implemented many anti-counterfeiting measures, such as: Each pharmaceutical product is affixed with a QR code, an anti-counterfeiting sticker, and a logo and genuine import code on the packaging. The company always advises buyers to provide information to issue VAT invoices, thereby confirming the company's authenticity and guaranteeing quality for patients, especially those undergoing cancer treatment in difficult circumstances.

Similarly, as a successful company in combating counterfeit goods, Mr. Han Ngoc Anh, CEO of Thai Minh Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, shared: "For the past 7 years, there have been no counterfeit Thai Minh products on the market. We are fortunate to have an early warning system that helps the company prevent counterfeiting. All products have unique identification codes and protection policies. We have a protection system that allows consumers to scratch off the identification code when purchasing a product to check if it is counterfeit."

Entering the peak period at the end of 2025, the Hanoi Market Management Department has identified its focus as the synchronized implementation of plans and directives from the Central Government, the city, and the Department of Industry and Trade regarding the prevention and control of smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods.

Areas subject to increased inspections include petroleum products, tobacco, food, cosmetics, chemicals, gases, and industrial explosives – categories of goods with a high risk of violations. Simultaneously, the process of handling and destroying confiscated goods, auctioning seized items, and conducting regular inspections will continue to ensure integrity and transparency throughout the entire force.

With a proactive, responsible, and decisive spirit, Hanoi's market management force continues to affirm its role as a "shield" protecting the market, ensuring consumer rights, and contributing to maintaining economic and social stability in the capital city during the end of the year.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ha-noi-quyet-tam-day-lui-hang-gia-hang-kem-chat-luong-721294.html