Market Surveillance force focuses on handling violations in e-commerce

	Recognising many violations through e-commerce
	Violations of intellectual property increasing

Participants at the seminar.

In the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the economy in the world and Vietnam. These effects have had impacts on consumers’ demand and created consumption trends in line with the new normal situation.

In addition, the speculation and trading of goods of unknown origin and offenses related to e-commerce activities have also increased.

At the seminar “Healthy business, safe consumption in the new normal period” in March, Deputy Director of the Financial Planning Department Nguyen Quang Huy assessed that the business trends in the e-commerce environment have brought practical benefits.

However, the trading of smuggled goods, low-quality goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights still took place, affecting not only the interests of consumers but also the legitimate production and business enterprises and the business investment environment.

In 2021, the market surveillance inspected over 25,000 cases and handled over 23,000 cases related to this field and fined over VND18 billion.

“Currently, smugglers mainly focus on trading high-value products and goods produced in foreign countries via sales channels. The smugglers have operated to clear traces, affecting the investigation and verification of the competent agencies. Therefore, to handle the violations, there needs to be the cooperation of other agencies and enterprises,” Huy said.

From now to the end of 2022, the market surveillance force will focus on the control of e-commerce.

Currently, the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance has developed a project on inspecting and handling violations in e-commerce, which will be issued in 2022. The efficiency of this project will be improved in the near future.

Regarding the protection of consumers’ interests amid the development of speculation and trading of goods of unknown origin and increasing violations related to e-commerce, Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy, said besides institutions, law enforcement organizations, communication work, legal framework and consumers themselves, businesses should be mentioned.

Enterprises aim to protect consumers, first of all, the information of enterprises must be transparent and accurately reflect the production and business process.

“The next factor is price and competence. The competition is a goods thing in the market economy, but it must be transparent,” Thanh said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Vinh Phuong, Director of Modern Distribution Channel & National Business Capability, URC Vietnam Co., Ltd., said the company understands its role and responsibilities for consumers.

In addition to investing in quality products, the investment in production models to improve product quality to provide products with more competitive prices in the market, the company is currently aiming for a sustainable development model.

Specifically, URC implements a sustainable development model reducing the proportion of waste in the environment by signing contracts with many waste manufacturing enterprises. For example, coffee pods and coffee grounds are recycled to make organic fertilizer.

“The company desires to be supported by all state management agencies for sustainable development. For example, receiving specific guidelines on policies to help the company comply with the policies issued by the state," said Ms. Phuong.