E-commerce Transparency

- In recent years, the strong development of e-commerce has brought many benefits to businesses and consumers. However, along with the conveniences are a series of challenges related to the protection of consumer rights. Therefore, in recent times, departments, branches and functional forces in the province have synchronously deployed solutions to strictly control business activities on e-commerce, aiming to build a safe and healthy business environment.

Officers of Market Management Team No. 6 inspect an establishment with e-commerce business activities in Tam Thanh ward.

According to the data of the industry and trade sector, Lang Son currently has nearly 21,000 products put on e-commerce platforms, ranking 2nd nationwide; nearly 50,000 successful transactions, ranking 4th nationwide; over 228,000 agricultural production households trained in digital skills, ranking 3rd nationwide. These are impressive numbers demonstrating the strong development of e-commerce in the province. Besides positive economic signals, the fact that enterprises, production and trading establishments are stepping up to access and apply e-commerce also poses many potential risks of trade fraud, trading in counterfeit goods, fake goods, goods of unknown origin, etc.

Tighten inspection

In order to protect the rights of consumers as well as legitimate businesses, and create transparency in the e-commerce environment, recently, the functional forces in the province have deployed many professional measures to promptly detect and strictly handle e-commerce businesses that trade in smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, goods that infringe intellectual property rights, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Loc, Deputy Head of Market Management Team No. 6 (mobile team) said: Implementing the direction of the Provincial Market Management Department on strengthening market inspection and control in the field of e-commerce, the team has proactively reviewed and monitored the area; inspected, coordinated inspections, and strictly handled businesses with violations. Accordingly, from 2023 to present, the team has inspected and handled 80 cases related to e-commerce (mainly business forms through social networking sites Zalo, Facebook, and websites); the total amount of administrative fines is over 1 billion VND; the value of violating goods is over 784 million VND.

Officers of Market Management Team No. 1 inspect businesses selling handbags, backpacks... in Ky Lua ward.

Not only Market Management Team No. 6, but also Market Management Teams in charge of the province's localities have strengthened the inspection and control of e-commerce business activities. According to statistics from the provincial Market Management Department, from 2023 to present, the Market Management force has inspected and handled 415 cases related to e-commerce; the total amount of administrative fines is over 2.7 billion VND; the value of infringing goods is over 2.2 billion VND. The main violations are not registering the sales website with the authorities; trading in smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, goods violating intellectual property rights, etc.

Mr. Dang Van Ngoc, Head of the Market Management Department, Department of Industry and Trade, said: In the past, the department has proactively developed a plan for specialized inspections and peak inspections of e-commerce business activities; established a specialized task force on e-commerce... to strengthen inspection and supervision, thereby promptly detecting and handling many violations. However, at present, e-commerce business activities still pose many challenges to market inspection and control because most organizations and individuals doing business through social networking sites do not leave their business addresses or do business spontaneously, do extra work, and do not have a fixed location, causing difficulties in inspection and identifying subjects; Violations using high technology are increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable... Therefore, in the coming time, the Department will continue to identify the work of combating, inspecting and handling subjects with signs of violations in the e-commerce environment as a key, long-term task, thereby directing the affiliated Market Management Teams to proactively grasp the area, strengthen inspection and control of e-commerce activities (advertising, introducing, receiving and delivering goods...). At the same time, the Department will continue to strengthen coordination and information exchange with the police, tax authorities, and local authorities to monitor compliance with legal regulations of organizations and individuals participating in e-commerce activities; strictly handle subjects taking advantage of e-commerce activities to commit smuggling and commercial fraud.

Promote propaganda

Along with the inspection and control of e-commerce business activities, the Market Management force also pays special attention to propaganda work, raising awareness and law compliance of organizations and individuals doing business on e-commerce as well as consumers. Accordingly, the Provincial Market Management Department has directed the Market Management teams in charge of the area to organize propaganda and disseminate legal documents, and implement civilized trade to organizations and individuals through forms such as: propaganda to sign commitments; integrating into inspections; propaganda on mobile loudspeakers, on the electronic information page of the department, etc.

From 2023 to present, the provincial Market Management force has propagated through distributing leaflets and recommendations 785 times; through market inspection and control 5,025 times; signed 3,939 commitments for organizations and individuals with e-commerce business activities in the area; propagated through mass media 174 times...

Not stopping at propaganda work integrated through inspection and control of the Market Management Force, the Department of Industry and Trade, with its state management function in the field of trade, also actively organizes conferences and seminars to propagate and raise general awareness of e-commerce. Accordingly, on average each year, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinates with related units such as the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Ministry of Industry and Trade ; Provincial Business Association; Provincial Consumer Protection Association... to organize from 2 to 3 training courses on e-commerce with over 200 participants, including officials in charge of state management, law enforcement on e-commerce, representatives of enterprises, cooperatives, business households, consumers...; organize seminars related to e-commerce development; propagate through activities in response to Vietnam Consumer Rights Day (March 15) every year...

The content of the Department of Industry and Trade focuses on propaganda and dissemination such as: analysis of the e-commerce market through online trading floors; overview of Vietnam's e-commerce law; legal corridor in e-commerce; regulations on administrative sanctions for violations in commercial activities, production, trade of counterfeit and prohibited goods and protection of consumer rights; inspection, examination and handling of violations in online business...

Through propaganda activities in various forms, it has contributed significantly to raising awareness and law compliance of enterprises and production and business establishments in the province. Ms. Pham Thuy Dieu Linh, owner of Linh Store cosmetics store, Le Hong Phong street, Tam Thanh ward said: Currently, my store is combining traditional business activities and e-commerce. Recently, the store has been visited by functional sectors and forces to propagate and inspect, especially e-commerce business activities. Thereby, I always proactively comply with the provisions of the law; fully perform tax obligations to the State and commit that the store only distributes goods of good quality and clear origin to consumers.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Linh, Deputy Head of the Trade Management Department, Department of Industry and Trade, said: Strengthening inspection and propaganda work is a key factor to protect consumer rights, towards building a safe and healthy e-commerce environment. In the coming time, the department will continue to advise the department to coordinate with relevant units to strengthen propaganda work, raise public awareness of e-commerce, especially compliance with legal regulations. Most recently, the department has advised the department to coordinate with the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Ministry of Industry and Trade to organize a series of programs to digitally transform traditional markets and promote e-commerce in the province (expected to be held in August 2025). The program is expected to contribute to improving the e-commerce application capacity of businesses and consumers through its activities, but also promote the implementation of civilized trade in the e-commerce environment.

Market inspection and control as well as propaganda and awareness raising on e-commerce have been and are being paid attention to and resolutely implemented by sectors and functional forces. However, protecting consumer rights in e-commerce is not only the responsibility of state management agencies but also requires initiative from businesses and consumers themselves. Therefore, in the coming time, production and business establishments and consumers need to be more active in promoting a sense of responsibility, protecting their own legitimate rights and interests, together with all levels and sectors to build an e-commerce environment that develops in a transparent and sustainable direction, making practical contributions to the economic development goals of the province.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/minh-bach-hoa-thuong-mai-dien-tu-5053186.html