Lao Cai Market Management Department has carried out many consistent solutions to stabilize the market, protect legitimate consumer interests and foster business development since the start of this year.

The commodity market has been very active since 2020 because demand has kept rising, especially for food, apparels, footwear and electronic devices. During this time, Lao Cai and the whole country have stepped up the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, resulting in a higher demand for medical equipment that might lead to local scarcity and price hikes of facemasks and antiseptic solutions. However, with the active and timely participation of relevant bodies, including the Market Management Department, commodity prices have been well controlled.

With drastic actions of the market watchdog, smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeiting, knockoffs and products of unclear origin or unguaranteed quality and safety were pushed back. The province did not uncover any serious cases of transporting, storing and trading prohibited goods, smuggled goods, counterfeits, knockoffs.

In the first six months of 2021, the department conducted 620 inspection cases, up 32.5% year on year, uncovered and handled 241 violation cases, up 29.6%. Specifically, the agency unearthed and issued fines in 99 business violation cases (unclear pricing, no price quotation, no business licenses and expired certificates), and imposed an administrative fine of VND125.5 million. Violated value amounted to VND3,854.7 million, up 133.8% over the same period of 2020. The department collected VND1,801 million for the state budget, up 88.9% year on year.

To achieve these results, the Market Management Department closely followed the direction of the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee 389 in the fight against smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeiting. In addition, the agency reformed operations, with focus on tightening inspection and control of essential products and effectively preventing transportation and trading of smuggled goods, prohibited goods, counterfeited goods and pirated goods. In addition, the department complied with laws on price, measurement, quality, labelling, food safety and hygiene and regulations on trade promotion, e-commerce and online sales applications.

Manufacturing, trading and service are expected to recover in the last months of 2021. The demand for production inputs and consumption outputs will increase in Lao Cai. Smuggling, trade fraudulence, counterfeiting, knockoff and illegal transportation of goods into Vietnam may also increase. Trading smuggled goods, counterfeited goods and knockoffs via the e-commerce environment (Zalo and Facebook) is predicted to be complicated.

Mr. Do Du Bac, Acting Director of Lao Cai Market Management Department, said, “In 2021, the department will concentrate on strengthening the fight against illegal trade in the e-commerce environment. Since 2020, due to travel restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic and growing consumer demand, trading faked goods and products of unclear origin on social networks (Facebook and Zalo) will be complicated. Hence, in addition to market control, in 2021, the department will further focus on measures to inspect, control, promptly prevent and strictly handle smuggling, counterfeiting, knockoff and piracy via e-commerce, website and social networks.”