Market Management Department: There are cases where businesses intentionally accept fines to continue producing counterfeit goods.

On the afternoon of December 11, a question and answer session took place in the hall. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Sanctions are not strong enough

Regarding the complicated situation of online trading, which is openly displayed but not subject to management and inspection by authorities, making it difficult to check the origin and control, Mr. Tran Dang Ninh said that the trend of e-commerce is growing, because this is a form of quick revenue and profit.

In Nghe An province, e-commerce activities are also part of this development trend, and increasingly occupy a large market share, with 6 e-commerce trading floors and 434 e-commerce websites. These registered websites mainly promote tourism products and goods. However, the authorities have not been able to count the forms of sales through social networks such as Facebook and Zalo.

Mr. Tran Dang Ninh affirmed that the situation of selling goods via social networks cannot be controlled. The reason is that sellers use virtual IP addresses, which makes it easy to evade taxes. Meanwhile, the authorities have not yet had specific measures to check this activity.

Mr. Tran Dang Ninh - Acting Director of the Market Management Department reported on the market management work in the province. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Therefore, to avoid buying fake and poor quality goods when shopping online, the Acting Director of the Market Management Department recommends that consumers check before receiving and paying for the goods. On its part, in the coming time, the Department will coordinate with other functional sectors to continue to collect statistics, update and investigate the number of personal pages using social networks to conduct e-commerce, thereby strengthening strict inspection.

Frankly admitting one of the reasons for the proliferation of counterfeit and poor quality goods, Mr. Tran Dang Ninh said that there are shortcomings, irregularities, and lack of close coordination between functional agencies, or functional agencies with localities, and press agencies. Moreover, functional forces are hiding information to protect their “achievements”, so they have not been able to share information with each other in a timely manner in the fight against smuggling of counterfeit, fake, and poor quality goods.

Delegate Hoang Nghia Hung (Nam Dan unit) questioned. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Answering the question about whether or not there is a situation where businesses intentionally accept fines to continue producing counterfeit, fake, and poor quality goods, Mr. Tran Dang Ninh affirmed "Yes", because this is a type of super-profitable business, and the subjects show no signs of stopping, and do not give up any tricks. Currently, the group of counterfeit and poor quality goods tends to shift to rural and mountainous areas, where people's understanding of goods is still limited. People are mainly concerned with price, without paying attention to quality and brand. Moreover, in these areas, the functional forces are thin, and the situation is not regularly controlled.

Changing consumer habits and perceptions

Concluding this content, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong assessed: The questioning part was right on the point, demonstrating a high sense of responsibility, going straight to the point without avoiding the issue. Through the questioning and answering part, it showed more clearly and deeply the problems and shortcomings in the work of combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the area, the responsibility of advising and coordinating the implementation of public duties of the functional forces of the province.

Especially through the questioning and answering part, it shows that this work still has limitations such as: The fight against violators with high awareness in new fields such as Intellectual Property, E-commerce, commercial fraud in the tax field, especially in online sales business... still has many limitations.

Sanctions are not strong enough while the legal system is incomplete and overlapping, leading to difficulties in handling violations as well as preventing commercial fraud.

Delegate Lu Thi Thin (Tuong Duong unit) questioned. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council proposed to rectify and overcome shortcomings and limitations in the work of combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, and requested the Provincial People's Committee and the National Steering Committee 389 on crime prevention and control, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods to implement well the following contents:

First of all, it is necessary to promote the dissemination of laws to businesses and consumers, especially awareness of counterfeit, fake, poor quality goods and intellectual property rights so that people and businesses can participate in the fight against smuggling and counterfeit goods.

Recommend the Provincial People's Committee to direct the Provincial Steering Committee 389, departments, branches, localities, and enterprises to promote their roles to proactively participate in the fight against smuggling of counterfeit goods and trade fraud.

At the same time, continue to strengthen inspection and monitoring of compliance with public ethics, compliance with state regulations on the fight against smuggling of counterfeit goods and trade fraud...

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong concluded the questioning of the Market Management Department. Photo: Thanh Cuong

During the preparation for the Lunar New Year 2020 and the period after Tet, it is necessary to strengthen the direction, supervision and control of smuggled goods, prohibited goods, storage of firecrackers, cosmetics, functional foods, and foods of unknown origin. Focus on checking subjects using poor quality raw materials.

It is necessary to pay attention to handling according to legal regulations the acts of trading dirty food that does not ensure hygiene and safety, medical facilities operating without a license, the quality of service staff at medical facilities that do not ensure professional capacity; trading fake drugs, poor quality drugs that affect public health.

The Provincial People's Committee needs to study and support investment in equipment and means to facilitate the work of appraisal, analysis, and assessment of goods quality.

Continue to strengthen market monitoring solutions, collect market assessment information to develop specialized combat plans; improve the capacity of functional teams... All levels, sectors and localities need to identify these areas of work as important and regular political tasks of all.

Destroying counterfeit goods, fake goods, and commercial fraud. Illustration photo: Thu Huyen

On that basis, unify the basic tasks and solutions, enhance the sense of responsibility of all levels, sectors and functional forces to overcome in the coming time; gradually bring market management, anti-smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the area into order and in accordance with legal regulations.