The peak period of anti-smuggling and trade fraud before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2023

Cau Treo Customs actively implement many solutions to effectively prevent smuggling and trade fraud. Photo: H.Nụ

The plan aims to strengthen the leadership, direction, inspection, urging and guiding Steering Committees 389 of ministries, sectors and localities to proactively, promptly grasp and control the situation of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; regularly exchange and share information, coordinate in inspection, control and handle acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in order to prevent smuggling, illegal transport of goods across borders, border gates, sea areas, trade fraud, tax evasion, acts of buying and selling, transporting banned goods, smuggled goods, production and trading counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, and goods infringing intellectual property rights.

Strict control of the routes

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Steering Committee 389 of ministries, sectors and localities to develop and direct the organization to effectively implement the Plan against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting before, during and after Lunar New Year 2023; proactively grasp the situation; identify methods and tricks of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; identify key objects, routes, areas, and commodities that need to be focused on and gathered competent forces, vehicles and measures; determine the responsibilities of central and local and units in the management, inspection and control of areas and domains.

Furthermore, developing and implementing plans to strengthen human forces and vehicles to patrol and strictly control border lines, road border gates, railways, waterways, sea routes, airways, trails, opening paths and goods gathering areas near the border to prevent banned goods, counterfeit goods and poor quality goods from being smuggled inland.

Strictly control wholesale markets, trade centers, agents, grocery stores, e-commerce exchanges, and online sales, to promptly detect acts of taking advantage to do business, transporting banned goods, counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, goods infringing intellectual property rights, focusing on conditional imports, goods with high tax rates, banned goods, counterfeit goods, goods serving consumer demand during the Lunar New Year such as firecrackers, cigarettes, gasoline, minerals, precious metals, foreign currency, electronic goods, telephones, high fashion, food, alcohol, beer, confectionery, fruit, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, supplementary foods, livestock, and poultry.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested to establish interdisciplinary working groups to grasp the situation to inspect, urge and guide forces, units and localities to organize an effective fight against smuggling and trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the management fields.

Preventing the purchase and sale of invoices, using illegal invoices to legalize smuggled goods and evade taxes.

In particular, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance to direct the Customs force to strengthen the work of collecting information, grasping the situation, patrolling and controlling road border gates and border economic zones, cargo gathering areas near the border, seaports, international river ports, international airports, post offices, international express delivery, international railways, that are under customs management areas.

Strictly controlling import and export goods and luggage on entry and exit; developing and implementing plans to strengthen forces, vehicles and professional measures to fight and promptly prevent acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

In particular, focusing on prohibited items (drugs, weapons, firecrackers, explosives, wild animals) and goods affecting security and order, social safety, counterfeit trademarks, frauds of Vietnamese origin, goods infringing intellectual property rights, consumer staples, petroleum, mobile phones, garments, food, alcohol, beer, tobacco, confectionery, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, supplementary foods, and medical equipment; closely coordinate with competent forces to strengthen patrols, control and effectively implement plans against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting on border lines and sea areas.

The Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance directs tax forces, professional units, and local Tax Departments to strengthen inspection against tax loss for businesses showing signs of risk high risk; strengthen the management in order to prevent the sale and purchase of invoices, the use of illegal invoices to legalize smuggled goods and tax evasion; promptly exchange information and coordinate with competent forces in the investigation, verification and handling of smugglers and fraud related to tax administration.

Ensuring the balance of supply and demand, stabilizing the commodity market

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to direct the provincial Departments of Industry and Trade to actively monitor and forecast the supply and demand of goods in their management areas, especially the essential commodities in order to have the plan to ensure the balance of supply and demand, stabilize the commodity market as well as prevent smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

Furthermore, the units need to guide and support enterprises to carry out trade promotion activities in the domestic market, reserve goods, stabilize the market; coordinate with the Domestic Markets Department and the Market Surveillance Force to closely supervise petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas trading activities, ensure the supply, and avoid the situation of speculation, hoarding and increases in price inappropriately.

Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade directs the market surveillance force to chair and coordinate with competent forces to implement plans on strengthening inspection, detection and strict handling of acts of trading and transporting prohibited goods; trading in smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, origin fraud, goods infringing intellectual property rights; violations in the field of trade promotion, purchase and sale of goods on e-commerce exchanges, social networking sites; acts of violating the listing of selling prices, speculation of goods; develop and implement a plan to strengthen forces, vehicles and professional measures to fight and promptly prevent acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, especially for banned goods, counterfeit goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights, foodstuffs, essential consumer goods during the Lunar New Year 2023.

Inspecting, controlling and preventing activities that take advantage of e-commerce for smuggling and trade fraud.

The local Steering Committees 389 direct departments, sectors and competent forces to ensure a sufficient supply of quality consumer goods for the people before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2023; formulate and implement plans to strengthen human forces, vehicles and measures to inspect, control and handle acts of storing and trading smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, counterfeit goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights and violations of price listing, focusing on commodity groups such as foods, wine, beer, tobacco, sugar, confectionery, fruit, electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, supplementary foods, high-end fashion, cattle, and poultry.

Notably, Steering Committee 389 of localities: Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Da Nang, Gia Lai, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang and Kien Giang should direct competent forces and authorities at all levels to grasp the situation, strengthen inspection and control, avoid the situation of establishing warehouses, yards, and transit points of contraband, counterfeit and poor quality goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights as well as activities that take advantage of e-commerce exchange to smuggle, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

At the same time, strengthening coordination, inspection and control on border lines and inland areas in order to detect and strictly handle acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.