Enhancing competition law and trade defense

(Baonghean.vn) -On the morning of June 10th, in Vinh City, the Department of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the Competition Management Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, organized a conference on the practical implementation of competition law, trade defense, and consumer protection.

Attending the conference were Mr. Nguyen Phuong Nam - Deputy Director of the Competition Management Department - Ministry of Industry and Trade, and a large number of businesspeople from Nghe An and other provinces in the North Central region.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Nam, Deputy Director of the Competition Management Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, delivered the opening remarks at the conference.

Ms. Vo Thi An, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, emphasized the urgent need to enforce the law protecting consumer rights.

At the conference, delegates shared practical experiences in monitoring and managing competition; anti-competitive practices and lessons learned from real-life cases; managing multi-level marketing; and enforcing the Law on Consumer Protection and trade defense laws.

Delegates attending the conference.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Tran Phuong Nhung - Competition Monitoring and Management Department,Competition AuthorityTime was spent analyzing issues of dumping in international trade and the reality of violations of Vietnamese consumer rights – issues that Vietnamese businesses have not yet paid sufficient attention to or strictly complied with. These will be obstacles as Vietnam enters the "storm" of integration in December 2015.

Mr. Phan The Thang, Deputy Head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department of the Competition Management Agency, warned that violations of consumer rights protection laws are becoming increasingly complex.

According to Mr. Phan The Thang, Deputy Head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department of the Competition Management Agency, violations of consumer rights protection laws are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, such as frozen shrimp injected with adulterants on the market, and the trading of counterfeit functional foods…

Meanwhile, consumer awareness of their own rights remains insufficient, failing to create the force to compel unscrupulous businesses to voluntarily fulfill their obligations to consumers. Consumers also lack awareness of their responsibility to protect their own rights, such as purchasing goods without requesting receipts, not checking labels, origins, or instructions for use, and being hesitant to file complaints or lawsuits.

The issues discussed at the conference were practical matters aimed at raising awareness and promoting correct actions among Vietnamese businesses and consumers regarding legitimate defense measures.

Thu Huyen