Tighten market discipline

One day in early June, at Oc market, Lac Son district, a surprise inspection took place. The result was that more than 70 million VND worth of goods were handled because of unknown origin, no invoice, no Vietnamese sub-label, from hair dryers, rice cookers to even plastic hats disguised as helmets.

The joint force inspected and made a record of the violating shipment at Oc market, Thuong Coc commune (Lac Son district).

The incident is just a small slice of the current market picture, where counterfeit and smuggled goods are no longer secretly found in border areas, but openly mixed into every small stall, every online package...

That is also the reason why on May 23, the Provincial Working Group on the peak of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud (GLTM) and counterfeit goods issued Plan No. 78/KH-TCT. Accordingly, a comprehensive, synchronous and unprecedented peak in terms of scale, force and inspection areas was deployed from May 15 to May 16 to tighten market discipline.

When counterfeits no longer hide

Within just three days, from May 15 to 17, 2025, the Prime Minister issued two important documents: Official Dispatch No. 65/CD-TTg on launching a peak campaign against smuggling, commercial fraud, and counterfeit goods and Directive No. 13/CT-TTg on strengthening this work in the new situation.

In Hoa Binh, the risk of counterfeit goods and trade fraud is even more evident. With its location adjacent to Hanoi and being a transit point in the Northwest region, National Highways 6, 12B, Hoa Lac - Hoa Binh Road... are both the lifeblood of development and the "silent blood vessels" through which smuggled goods can infiltrate the interior. Comrade Do Manh Dung, Market Controller, Market Management Department once warned: Counterfeit goods do not only come from the border, but are often "processed" right behind the door of a small workshop right in the area where we live.

In fact, in recent years, the situation of GLTM, trading in goods of unknown origin, poor quality in traditional markets, warehouses in the suburbs, on e-commerce platforms... has not decreased but has become more and more sophisticated. From essential goods such as food, medicine, cosmetics, to liquefied gas, agricultural supplies... anything that can be bought can be counterfeited.

More dangerously, while legitimate businesses are struggling to cope with input costs and tax procedures, smuggled goods, which are not taxed or controlled, are brazenly entering, lowering prices, and dominating the market. Therefore, this climax is not just "a sweep", but a strong message from the Central to the local level: the law is not flexible with all acts of smuggling.

Zero tolerance for commercial fraud

Not only stopping at directing, Hoa Binh is one of the leading localities to concretize the order from the Central Government with Plan No. 78/KH-TCT, dated May 23, 2025, implementing the peak period from May 15 to June 15, 2025.

The focus of the Plan is: checking at the source - from production sites, warehouses to retail points; hitting hot spots such as traditional markets, shopping malls, suburban warehouses and not missing new trading platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok, and e-commerce platforms.

Three provincial-level interdisciplinary inspection teams were established, divided by field: Team 1 (chaired by the Department of Industry and Trade) focused on liquefied petroleum gas, food, and consumer goods. Team 2 (chaired by the Department of Health) was in charge of medicines, functional foods, and cosmetics. Team 3 (chaired by the Department of Agriculture and Environment) inspected forestry products, aquatic products, fertilizers, animal breeds, and pesticides - areas that are susceptible to the mixing of poor-quality goods.

In particular, the province thoroughly implements the motto "6 clear": clear people, clear work, clear time, clear responsibility, clear product, clear authority to direct. This is not only to avoid "beating the drum and leaving the drumstick alone", but also to clearly determine who is responsible if violations occur in the area.

According to Mr. Duong Quoc Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, Head of Inspection Team No. 1, this plan does not stop at punishing violations. Each inspection, discovery, and handling case also requires analyzing the causes, identifying legal loopholes or management loopholes, from which to propose amending the mechanism to clean up the root, not just cut off the top.

At the peak of the implementation, the inspection at Oc market (Thuong Coc commune, Lac Son district) on the morning of June 5 became a "red warning sign" about the level of infiltration of violating goods. At business location No. 10 of Hong Phuc Import-Export and Trading Company Limited, the interdisciplinary inspection team chaired by the Department of Industry and Trade discovered and temporarily seized a shipment worth more than 70 million VND including hair dryers, rice cookers, kettles, flashlights, plastic sandals and plastic hats... all without Vietnamese labels, unknown origin, and no invoices or documents.

Notably, this is not an "underground" facility. The unit has full business registration and retail licenses for cigarettes and fertilizers. However, the formality of the procedures makes many people subjective, while inside there are a series of illegal goods mixed in.

The peak will end on June 15. But the problem of market discipline cannot be closed. The important thing is whether after the drumbeat of the march, the sectors and localities continue to maintain the fire of responsibility or not? Will consumers still be protected after the final report day or not? And will the identified loopholes be closed, or will they continue to be "escape routes" for violators?

Declaring war is an action. Maintaining the spirit of war is a management skill.

Hai Yen

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/12/201923/Siet-chat-ky-cuong-thi-truong.htm