(binhthuan.gov.vn) Recently, the provincial functional authorities have simultaneously deployed officials to check and control essential goods such as food, medical equipment; at the same time, to detect and prevent the activities of smuggling and commercial fraud, ensuring the market operate stably and protecting the legitimate interests of consumers.

By the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic, prices of essential consumer goods such as food, medical masks, antiseptic liquids, etc… in the province has increased sharply. At some point, people rushed into supermarkets, shopping malls, convenience store chains, large grocery stores, and sales points to purchase a variety of goods, thus leading to local shortage at some points of sale.

Under this situation, the authorities have promoted to review and control the markets, supermarkets and commercial centers in the province for controlling the prices and the supply of goods, propagating the business units not to raise unreasonable prices. Thereby, ensuring adequate supply of food, daily necessities, medicines, medical supplies and equipment for the prevention and control of epidemic of people in all situations.

Particularly for face masks, this is the item with a sudden increase in demand due to the impact of the epidemic. According to the Department of Industry and Trade, to meet the demand for this item, the units in the province have signed contracts with those units producing antibacterial fabric masks (directly under Vietnam Textile and Garment Group) to supply over 60,000 antibacterial fabric masks. By the end of April, business shops in the province have supplied about 20,000 masks to the market. At present, the production and business units in the province are continuing to provide and ensure sufficient supply and quantity of masks to local people for the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic.

Data from the Provincial Steering Committee 389 showed that, in April 2020, the provincial functional authorities inspected 122 cases, in which detecting and handling 09 cases, including 10 behaviors: 02 trading of banned goods which were the smuggled cigarettes, 01 trading of smuggled goods, 01 violation in the field of price, 04 violations in business operation, and 02 other violations. The total fines for administrative violations was VND 93.25 million.

In general, throughout the period of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, functional authorities in the province have deployed and implemented seriously the instructions of the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee 389 and the Provincial People's Committee on strengthening the fight against smuggling, trade frauds and fake goods in the province. Promptly detecting, preventing and strictly handling violation behaviors according to the law, at the same time creating favorable conditions for goods to circulate in the market, ensuring the market operates in a healthy manner, protecting the interests of consumers. Through the inspection, the authorities have not yet detected any activities of excessive price increase or price squeezing, which may cause market instability, and violations related to the use of toxic chemicals and food additives outside the list of permitted food production and processing.

In the coming time, the Department of Market Surveillance as a specialized force will strengthen the task of local management, promptly detecting, preventing and strictly handling behaviors of trading smuggled goods; manufacturing and trading fake goods, banned goods, unknown origin goods, activities of infringing upon intellectual property rights, activities of violating the legislation on food quality, measurement and safety; activities of violating the law on protecting the interests of consumers and those activities of commercial fraud according to the provisions of the law.

On the occasion of 30/4 and 1/5, the market surveillance teams will coordinate with the relevant agencies to conduct the inspection and control of market prices, food hygiene in the province. In particular, the attention will be paid to the inspection at tourist areas, destinations and services in order to promptly detect and handle strictly any violations of food safety, regulations on price listing, selling above listed prices, arbitrarily raising the prices of goods and services./.

Hữu Tri