The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has directed localities, enterprises, and relevant agencies to review the supply and demand of goods and establish supply plans for the coming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, especially in the context of the ongoing new outbreak of COVID-19.

It also requested that units implement programmes to ensure market stability, focusing on ensuring the supply of pork at stable prices, conducting programmes to link supply and demand and send goods to rural, mountainous, and island areas, strengthening inspection and control in the market to fight smuggling and trade fraud, and guaranteeing food safety.

The ministry has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the supply and demand of certain products to meet the needs of the people.

Programmes linking supply and demand have been carried out with the participation of producers and distributors nationwide in order to support the consumption of agricultural products and at the same time ensure sufficient goods at stable prices for market stabilisation programmes.

Meanwhile, authorities in a number of cities and provinces, together with businesses, have planned to set aside goods to meet consumption needs in remote, border, and island areas.

Regarding pork, localities have directed businesses to seek adequate sources and adopt import plans to ensure sufficient supply during Tet.

According to the ministry, 26 localities nationwide plan to implement price stability programmes, meeting about 20-35% of market demand.

The People’s Committees of Hanoi and HCM City have directed businesses to increase supply in case of unexpected requests or prepare contingency plans in case the COVID-19 becomes more problematic.

Most enterprises, especially foreign-invested ones, are committed to providing enough goods without shortages or interruptions and extending service times at points of sale for price-stabilised goods during the holiday.

Notably, all products on the list of price-stabilised goods are made-in-Vietnam, the ministry said.