Strengthening control of market price stabilization

After the Lunar New Year, the commodity market continues to be bustling due to people's demand for goods for festivals, spring travel, longevity celebrations, meetings, etc. This is also the time when subjects can easily take advantage of smuggling, commercial fraud, trading, manufacturing prohibited goods, counterfeit goods, and goods that do not ensure food hygiene and safety. To stabilize the market and protect the interests of consumers, functional agencies, especially the provincial market management force, are strengthening inspection, supervision, and strict control of the commodity market.

Implementing the direction of the General Department of Market Management and the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Market Management Department has issued Plan No. 619/KH-QLTTHNA on the peak of anti-smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024. Accordingly, the Department requires its subordinate Market Management teams to strengthen market inspection and control, handle violations of trade laws; focus on inspecting and strictly handling organizations and individuals who take advantage of high consumer demand before, during and after Tet to unreasonably increase prices, causing market instability, especially for goods consumed a lot during Tet and festivals at the beginning of the year. In particular, focusing on key areas with bustling trading activities, localities with many festivals, supermarkets, shopping centers, markets, etc.

In particular, in the face of the situation that some petrol stations in and outside the province closed and stopped retailing petrol without reason during the Lunar New Year last year and this year's Tet, the provincial Market Management Department has tightened management of petrol trading activities, issued documents directing teams to do a good job of supervision, reminding petrol trading units to strictly follow regulations, not to speculate, hoard goods, stop selling, and not to let the situation of "disruption" in supply to serve socio -economic development activities and the needs of people in the area during Tet and the beginning of the new year.

Discussing to clarify this content, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Provincial Market Management Department, said: During Tet and the beginning of the new year, the demand for gasoline for production and travel of people and businesses increased. Therefore, the Department was very determined in directing and promoting the implementation of regular monitoring and inspection of all gasoline stations in the province during the Tet holiday and the beginning of the new year. In addition, the Department also maintained good coordination with sectors, functional agencies, and district-level People's Committees in performing tasks. Thanks to that, the situation of gasoline supply in the area before, during, and after Tet was basically stable, there was no shortage of gasoline, and no violations were detected. During the time before, during, and after Tet, the Department detected and promptly handled many violations of trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and poor quality goods, preventing a shortage of supply. Regarding the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, since the peak period of market inspection and control during the 2024 Lunar New Year (late November 2023) has been launched, the provincial Market Management force has detected and handled 147 violations, imposing administrative fines of over 1.1 billion VND.

**Customers shop for essential goods at Winmart supermarket in Phu Ly city.** Photo: Han Han

Due to the high demand for purchasing goods for festivals, meetings, spring trips, and festivals at the beginning of the year, especially for confectionery, beer, wine, soft drinks, and food, in order to perform its assigned functions and tasks, the Department of Industry and Trade has been focusing on effectively implementing solutions to stabilize the commodity market during Tet and the beginning of the year. In particular, the Department directed specialized departments to coordinate with districts, towns, and cities to closely monitor market developments, prices of goods and services, and production and business situations of enterprises to have specific measures to ensure balance between supply and demand, to avoid shortages and disruptions in goods sources that cause sudden price increases, and to meet people's consumption needs. The Department also requested supermarkets and distribution enterprises to expand their distribution networks to densely populated areas, industrial parks, etc. to increase access to stabilized goods for disadvantaged people and people with low and middle incomes. Along with that, the Department actively coordinates with functional sectors to strengthen market inspection and supervision in the fields of price, product quality, measurement, regulations on food hygiene and safety, acts of speculation, hoarding, illegal price increases, especially for gasoline, essential goods, etc.

Mr. Hoang Chi Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said: In the first days of the new year, the Department requested the economic and economic-infrastructure departments of districts, towns and cities to monitor and send reports on market developments, supply and demand, and prices of essential goods on a daily and weekly basis to have solutions to stabilize the market. The results showed that the supply of goods was abundant, the prices of essential goods tended to increase compared to other months of the year and increased the most on the 30th, 1st and 2nd of Tet. From the 3rd of Tet until now, the selling prices of these goods have decreased slightly and remained stable.

At this time, the province's functional branches are still strictly implementing the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister , the National Steering Committee 389, the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Steering Committee 389 on the inspection and control of the commodity market, especially for petroleum and essential goods. Thereby, not only contributing to stabilizing the market after Tet but also helping consumers buy quality, safe products.

Nguyen Oanh

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