Deputy Director in charge of An Giang Market Management Department Huynh Ngoc Ho: Fake fertilizers cause loss of budget revenue, affecting farmers

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Deputy Director in charge of An Giang Information Management Department Huynh Ngoc Ho.

The Market Management Force detected and handled dozens of violations in An Giang province. Mr. Huynh Ngoc Ho, Deputy Director, in charge of An Giang Information Management Department, spoke about this issue.

What do you think about the production and trading of fake goods, especially fertilizer products, in An Giang province?

An Giang province's border is being strictly controlled by functional forces, preventing violations and resolutely handling them according to law provisions.

In which, the activities of the Inter-sectoral Team 389 (according to the Inter-sectoral Plan No. 77/KHLN dated December 31, 2021 between the Provincial Police - Border Guard - Provincial Military - Provincial Customs Department - Management Department of Southwestern Mechanical Police) has been actively promoted in the fight and prevention of smuggling in the area.

Specifically, the sectors are maintaining five working groups to patrol, fight and prevent violations on the border and inland, thereby limiting contraband and counterfeit goods being transported and circulated.

However, due to the recent increase in fertilizer prices, this commodity is subject to many fluctuations in supply and demand and prices, in general, the situation is under control. Besides the quality of goods, there are some violations of packaging and labeling with fertilizers and plant protection drugs.

In particular, there is a situation where the goods on the label have incorrect information (such as fertilizers showing additional ingredients other than the registered ingredients). In addition, the status of medical preparations (insecticides) being sold and used as plant protection drugs is quite common, affecting the environment and the quality of goods.

In order to prevent the production and sale of fake fertilizers and pesticides, what solutions have been implemented by the market management force, sir?

An Giang market management force has issued many solutions to control and prevent violations and stabilize the market. In which, the unit strengthens the inspection of fertilizers and plant protection drugs under the direction of Document No. 129/TCQLTT-CNV dated January 26, 2022 of the General Department of Information Management.

At the same time, the Information Management Teams carry out the inspection of fertilizers according to the periodic plan in 2022; implement the plan according to Official Letter No. 765/CQLTT-NVTH dated May 23, 2022 assigning QLTT Team No. 1 to develop a thematic plan on inspecting fertilizers and plant protection drugs.

In particular, coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and functional sectors to avoid overlaps.

In order to protect the interests of consumers and create favorable conditions for quality products and goods to circulate on the market, the information management force always focuses on closely managing the area and actively receiving information and denunciations of the people, strengthen inspection, control and supervision in order to prevent and promptly handle all violations.

With many drastic solutions to control the area, in just over the first five months of 2022, An Giang Province's Information Management Sub-Department has detected nearly 30 cases of violations, trading in fake fertilizers; doing business without a certificate of eligibility to trade in fertilizers, plant protection drugs, veterinary drugs, not listing prices of goods and violating goods labels.

What are the difficulties in the inspection and handling of fake fertilizers of the TTC force, sir?

The inspection and handling of violations on counterfeit goods, including fertilizer products that do not have a prohibited area. In fact, we carry out verification and strictly handle violations. If any case has criminal signs, we will transfer the file to the police agency for investigation and prosecution according to our competence.

Most recently, after making a record of administrative violations against P.N Trading One Member Co., Ltd in Tan An City, Long An Province on the act of trading in counterfeit goods in terms of use value and utility; trading goods with quality not conforming to corresponding technical regulations.

Considering that the case file contains criminal elements, on June 9, 2022, An Giang Department of Information Management transferred the case file to the Investigation Police Department of An Giang Provincial Police (PC03) for investigation and criminal prosecution according to its competence.

However, the control, detection and handling of fake fertilizers face many difficulties when the violators always use sophisticated tricks. The biggest difficulty in controlling the market lies in the large and widespread trading system of fertilizers and pesticides in the province, but most of them are small business households and establishments, lacking legal knowledge, market knowledge, and business conditions are not guaranteed. There are still stores that run after profits and trade in fake, poor quality, expired fertilizers, and often avoid handling when detected.

Besides, the assessment of quality and coordination to verify information still takes a long time, affecting the progress of case handling.

What measures does the Department of Information Management of An Giang take to prevent counterfeit and smuggled fertilizers today?

Due to the impact of the world economic situation, fertilizer prices have continuously increased in recent years and are at a high level. The production and distribution of fake fertilizers and pesticides will inevitably become complicated, not only causing damage to the state budget but also greatly affecting people. In order to effectively prevent violations and contribute to market stabilization, An Giang Information Management Department will continue to implement the thematic plans that have been built, strengthen forces to inspect and control the market and detect and strictly handle violations defining roles and responsibilities of branches at all levels such as Industry and Trade, Agriculture, Finance, Union Front and local authorities. It is recommended that the 389 Steering Committee need to strengthen its focus and drastic direction.

In addition, the detection, inspection and handling of acts of producing and trading counterfeit goods, goods infringing upon intellectual property rights, and goods of unknown origin also encounter many difficulties, requiring close coordination between law enforcement agencies and rights holders.

Therefore, An Giang Department of Information Management actively coordinated to propagate the way of distinguishing real and fake goods for civil servants to enforce in order to contribute to improving knowledge and professional qualifications, and enhancing coordination between forces of the Department of Information Management with rights holders in detecting, inspecting and strictly handling acts of producing and trading counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights.