A VOV reporter interviewed Nguyen Hung Dung, head of the Market Management Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade about measures to combat smuggling, especially before the Lunar new Year festival.

VOV: Does the Steering Board take any action against smuggling, counterfeit products, and consumer fraud before Tet?

Mr Dung: The board has directed localities to step up inspections and oversight. Before Tet, market managers will work with relevant agencies and local authorities to control supermarkets, commercial centres, and retail markets and take fruit and vegetable samples to check pesticide content.

We have found that many imported packaged foods, confectionary, and fruits from neighbouring countries are of unknown origin. We have strengthened inspections to identify shops and restaurants which do not have certificates of food hygiene and safety or sell substandard goods, such as rotten nuts, dried fruits or dirty animal fat. We will deal in a timely fashion with violations on measurement, brand names, codes, prices and industrial property rights.

VOV: Can you tell us about the recent inspection conducted by your department’s task force?

Mr Dung: The inspection was conducted from January 15-28 by a market management task force. They dealt with 12,023 out of 15,895 cases, including 3,015 smuggling cases, 2,012 cases of trading counterfeit or substandard products, 4,512 illegal trading cases, and 1,904 other cases, collecting more than VN28 billion. The task force also established 5 working groups to conduct inspections in certain key areas: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Da Nang, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang, Long An and Tay Ninh.

We focused our inspections on essential commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, processed food, wine, beet, beverages, oil and gas as well as on business registration and distribution. We’re very pleased that we did not find any speculation in goods in the recent inspection.

VOV: How does the steering board coordinate the efforts of the relevant agencies?

Mr Dung: The Government established Central Steering Board 127 to coordinate the work of relevant agencies, including police, market managers, border guards and customs agents. Customs agents and border guards manage border areas while the market managers and police are responsible for inland areas. Police root out big gangs and market managers inspect goods to ensure businesses operate in a lawful manner.

The Government has authorized the board to work with relevant agencies to create regulations specifying the responsibilities of each agency in managing the market. Twelve ministries will assume the main duties while other ministries and provincial people’s committees will have to work closely with the 12 ministries.

VOV: What new measures should we implement to prevent smuggling, trading counterfeit products, and trade fraud?

Mr Dung: The fight against smuggling, counterfeiting and fraud is very demanding so it needs the support of the whole political system and the public in addition to the relevant agencies. Businesses must be responsible for self-checking and barring counterfeit products from their own distribution networks. Associations should closely work with each other and help the relevant agencies do their assigned job.

Our investigations show that inspections and oversight must be comprehensively and regularly implemented to be effective and violations should be strictly and consistently punished.

VOV: Thank you very much.