Deputy PM urges stronger actions to fight smuggling, trade fraud

The request was made by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh – who is also head of the national steering committee for smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit combat – at a meeting with officials of the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance (DMS) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on February 14.

He asked the force to gain a better grasp of the situation in each locality they are in charge of to detect violations in a timely manner, while coordinating closer with local authorities in the work.

They must also step up the review of existing relevant mechanisms and policies to seek out loopholes and propose amendments, boost information exchange with businesses, and enhance cooperation with foreign partners in the field.

The Deputy PM also directly ordered the force to build a strong and incorruptible apparatus, adamantly removing any violating public employees or those who fail to fulfil their duties.

At the working session, DMS General Director Tran Huu Linh reported that in 2018, the market surveillance force worked closely with relevant agencies to strengthen examination and strictly deal with violations, helping to safeguard domestic production and consumers’ interests.

They uncovered and handled nearly 92,000 violation cases, confiscated nearly 93 billion VND worth of involved products, and collected over 490 billion VND (21 million USD) in fines.