To protect consumer rights during the year-end shopping season, the Ha Tinh Market Management Department has increased inspection and control of the commodity market and strictly handled violations.

Ha Tinh Market Management Department is at the peak of inspecting and controlling the goods market at the end of the year.

Market Management Team No. 1 is in charge of Ha Tinh City and Loc Ha and Thach Ha districts with tens of thousands of businesses, including many large warehouses with diverse types of goods. Especially at the end of the year, purchasing power increases, the amount of goods coming in is even greater. Therefore, this is also the time when subjects take advantage to transport and trade in smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods and other acts of commercial fraud.

In order to ensure a stable market, protect the interests of consumers, protect businesses and reputable brands, Market Management Team No. 1 has strengthened the control of goods, focusing on checking price listing, food safety, origin, and quality of goods and food products.

Market Management Team No. 1 signs a commitment to comply with the law with business stores.

Mr. Truong Quang Thang - Captain of Market Management Team No. 1 said: “In 2023, the unit handled nearly 200 violations with a fine of more than 860 million VND, the value of confiscated and destroyed goods was nearly 300 million VND. In which, the main violations were counterfeit goods and food safety violations. At the end of the year, the goods market was bustling, so we focused on conducting inspections, especially for goods with high consumption demand. In addition to controlling goods in direct circulation, the unit also focused on controlling and handling violations in e-commerce activities”.

In charge of Huong Son and Duc Tho districts, during the last months of the year, Market Management Team No. 5 also increased the frequency of checking goods circulating in the market.

Market Management Team No. 5 checks goods at a business counter in Pho Chau town market (Huong Son).

Mr. Vo Viet Linh - Captain of Market Management Team No. 5 said: "In the area of ​​2 districts under the unit's management, there are more than 4,000 business households. Implementing the plan and direction of the Provincial Market Management Department, in the past time, we have conducted a review of the area, strengthened control of market developments, circulating goods and strictly handled violations. In particular, from now until the end of the year, pay attention to items such as: confectionery, cigarettes, soft drinks, electronics, household appliances... In particular, focus on checking selling prices and price listings, product quality, origin and invoices... In the fourth quarter of 2023 alone, the team has handled 48 violations, the amount of fines and confiscated goods is nearly 105 million VND".

It is known that from the beginning of 2023 until now, the Ha Tinh Market Management Department has stepped up inspection, control, and prevention of the trade and transportation of smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, violations of price listing, food safety, etc. As a result, to date, the unit has handled 928 violations, with the total amount of fines and value of confiscated and destroyed goods being more than 4.9 billion VND.

To ensure market stability at the end of the year, on November 14, the Provincial Market Management Department issued a plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2023, before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2024; implementation period is from November 20, 2023 to the end of February 2024.

Leaders of Ha Tinh Market Management Department thoroughly grasp the plan for the peak period against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2023, before, during and after Lunar New Year 2024.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khoa - Deputy Director of the Provincial Market Management Department, implementing the peak period at the end of the year, before, during and after Tet, the unit has directed teams to closely monitor the area, focus on inspecting and controlling the market and strictly handling administrative violations, especially for essential goods, high consumer demand at the end of the year, near Tet. At the same time, develop plans, coordinate with forces, regularly inspect the circulation stage, key routes to promptly detect and handle violations of smuggling, trade fraud, pay attention to tricks of using rotating invoices, mixing illegal goods with legal goods; review warehouses, goods gathering points, wholesale markets...; inspect compliance with food safety laws.

"During the inspection and handling process, combined with propaganda work, guiding organizations and individuals to understand and comply with legal regulations in commercial activities; sign a commitment not to trade in smuggled, counterfeit, or poor-quality goods. Market management forces also coordinate with market management boards, People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns to propagate on loudspeakers to encourage people not to produce, trade, or use illegal fireworks, not to assist in smuggling, trading in counterfeit, or poor-quality goods, and promptly report to authorities when detecting violations," Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khoa added.

Ngoc Loan