Minister of Industry and Trade: Goods enough for supply even if some provinces have to be isolated

Goods in supermarkets are always profuse to meet the needs of the people. Photo: Nguyễn Thanh

Ready to take products into epidemic area

A report of the Domestic Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) showed that, up to now, there have been 55 provinces and cities nationwide sending reports, including combat plans and scenarios for coping with Covid-19 epidemic in five levels.

In particular, it has taken into account situations if the disease is widespread and complicated, large cities and satellite cities are isolated, how will supply of essential commodities into the epidemic area be conducted? How will point of sale be arranged?

“We have had experience in supplying goods at Son Loi (Vinh Phuc province), the distribution channels of goods from petrol stations, electricity supply, bringing goods to supermarkets and point of sale to reach people. Currently, this work is continuing and increasing to a higher level, including the plan if Hanoi is widely isolated,” a representative of the Domestic Market Department said.

In Hanoi, the Industry and Trade Department has a plan to prepare supplies and ensure supply to the market under scenarios of disease outbreaks. The city has considered preparing an amount of goods increased by 30% -50% compared to normal needs in a month.

For the isolation area, plans have been taken into account the situation assuming the isolation area contains about 5,000 people for a period of 30 days. The norm for a person in 30 days is 18 kg of rice; 1.35 kg of pork; 15 eggs of poultry; table salt, soup powder is 0.15 kg; frozen seafood 1.56kg; processed foods 1.35 kg; and products made from cereals (instant noodles, instant porridge, dry rice, dry food) is 60 packs.

Thus, the total amount of goods needed is: 90 tonnes of rice; pork is 6.75 tonnes; 75 thousand eggs of poultry; table salt, soup powder is 750 kg; frozen seafood is 7.8 tonnes; processed food is 6.75 tonnes; 60,000 packs of processed products from cereals (instant noodles, instant porridge, dry rice and dry food)

On the afternoon of March 19, Hanoi Industry and Trade Department worked with enterprises manufacturing and distributing essential goods in the area to plan and estimate the supply capacity of each enterprise to have a plan of goods delivery according to each scenario to ensure supply for each situation and stabilise the market.

If many provinces are isolated, it must ensure enough goods

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the evening of March 19 on supply of goods, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh emphasised that the disease could develop complicatedly. It is not too pessimistic but it does not be subjective.

A contingency plans should be ready to deal with all situations, including the worst case of isolating a city and a few provinces and it must ensure enough essential goods to supply the people.

“With the responsibility of a ministry managing goods circulation and balance of supply and demand, we need to grasp and affirm that we can meet the needs of essential food of the people if the epidemic is prolonged for one month, two months, six months and longer. There will be no province facing a shortage of goods, no area will have an interruption in the supply of essential goods,” the" commander "of Industry and Trade emphasiaed.

In a more urgent situation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will report to the Government to mobilise national reserves, as the Prime Minister has directed the prevention and control of epidemics and ensuring the lives of people should be a top priority.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai also said that, now, the Ministry had to review and ensure the ability to meet demand for goods of each locality in the total supply of the whole country.

Localities must have a focal point of supplying the source of goods, a list of manufacturing enterprises and receiving so that communication is smooth, timely and proactive in taking action, including in the worst scenario.

“Don't wait until a bad situation happens to jump in, don't wait for the local to report and don't just stop at the number, you have to get in, have to go to each locality to check and make sure we meet the needs of the people as well as ensure the circulation,” Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai said.

In the coming time, Minister Tran Tuan Anh asked the General Department of Market Management to take more drastic measures to ensure market stability, do not let some take advantage of speculative diseases to increase prices, fake and counterfeit goods mixing in the market, affecting consumer rights.