During the peak month of fighting smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods during the Lunar New Year 2025, the Market Management force nationwide inspected 9,902 cases.

Inspected 9,902 cases, handled 8,560 violations

At the Conference to summarize the Plan for the peak period against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2024; before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2025, General Department of Market Management (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that during the peak month, the entire force focused on inspecting essential areas and goods serving the Lunar New Year such as: Cakes, candies, gasoline, alcohol, beer, cigarettes, prepackaged foods, food safety and hygiene... in which, focusing on inspecting prohibited items such as fireworks of all kinds and dangerous toys.

Accordingly, from November 1, 2024 to February 10, 2025, the Market Management force nationwide inspected 9,902 cases; detected and handled 8,560 violations; transferred 59 cases with signs of criminality to the police for investigation; the total amount of money handled was 212 billion VND, of which: 125 billion VND was paid to the state budget; the value of confiscated goods was 55 billion VND; the value of goods forced to be destroyed was 32 billion VND.

One of the hot spots that attracts the attention of people and society before, during and after the Lunar New Year is the field of food safety. In this field alone, during the peak period, the Market Management force inspected 1,890 cases, handled 1,606 cases, imposed administrative fines of VND 13.5 billion, and the value of violated goods was VND 14.3 billion.

Notable cases include: The Market Management Department of Quang Tri province inspected vehicles to prevent nearly 2 tons of smuggled food of unknown origin from being sold.

In Hanoi, Hanoi City Market Management Department Inspecting business establishments in Me Linh, Thanh Tri, discovered and temporarily detained nearly 10 tons of animal organs of unknown origin; inspecting business establishments, discovered and temporarily detained over 13 tons of food with signs of being smuggled goods, without invoices, documents, or origin, with goods valued at over 1.8 billion VND.

In Bac Ninh, the force promptly inspected and stopped 3 tons of frozen food of unknown origin and veterinary quarantine certificates on the way to consumption.

In Thanh Hoa, the Market Management force inspected and discovered nearly 1.8 tons of food of unknown origin and smuggled goods...

In Quang Ninh, the inspection force seized more than 2,000 boxes of red apple candy of unknown origin sold on TikTok, with a listed value of over 345 million VND.

For some other areas such as intellectual property infringement, violations in the e-commerce environment, some hot items such as: gasoline, tobacco, fertilizer, agricultural materials... continue to be strictly controlled and violations are promptly prevented.

Mr. Tran Huu Linh - General Director of the General Department of Market Management - said that during the peak month, the Market Management Departments of provinces and cities have proactively coordinated with local authorities to grasp the supply and demand situation and prices of goods. At the same time, they have strengthened inspection and supervision at supermarkets and wholesale markets; promptly handled violations, especially the smuggling of firecrackers.

Changing the model does not change the mission

Also at the Conference, regarding Resolution 18-NQ/TW on streamlining the working apparatus, Mr. Tran Huu Linh said that from March 1, 2025, it will be a new milestone for the Market Management force when the operating model changes.

Take it seriously Resolution 18-NQ/TW Regarding arrangement and streamlining, the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to streamline 18% of its operating apparatus. Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will end the organizational model of the General Department of Market Management, and plans to establish the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development on the basis of merging the General Department of Market Management and the Department of Domestic Market.

“In the coming time, although the General Department of Market Management will not directly manage human resources, it will be the unit that directs, inspects, orients, and guides professional expertise for the Market Management Departments.” - Mr. Tran Huu Linh informed.

However, according to Mr. Linh, the organizational model has changed but the tasks have not changed. The Market Management Force still operates according to the 2016 Market Management Ordinance. Therefore, in 2025, the General Department of Market Management will continue to maintain and upgrade the administrative violation sanction system (INS), applying artificial intelligence AI to the system.

At the same time, the General Department continues to maintain the edms system; email to exchange information internally. Despite the new organizational structure, the General Department continues to carry out the work of transferring market inspectors, issuing and monitoring market inspection cards. The work of guiding and directing professional expertise, training and education continues to be implemented.

Regarding the Market Management Departments, in the coming time, Director General Tran Huu Linh requested that the units continue to promote their strengths and continue to affirm their role as the main force in the work of preventing and combating counterfeit goods, smuggling, and trade fraud.