Mobilizing all forces to fight against smuggled and counterfeit goods during Tet

The commercial infrastructure network in the province is widely developed with a diverse and abundant volume of goods in circulation. The time before Tet is the time when counterfeit goods flood in, infiltrating from cities to the countryside, causing many complicated consequences.

In most mountainous markets, remote areas, and commodity circulation centers, there is always a quantity of poor quality goods "sneaking into" trading points to make illegal profits, affecting the health and interests of consumers.

Market Management forces inspect goods in Do Luong district. Photo: Huu Hoan

In order to specify the "Peak plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2019" signed by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the National Steering Committee 389 Truong Hoa Binh on November 30, 2018, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 805/KH-UBND (dated December 25, 2018), on organizing a peak period to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2019 in the province.

According to this plan, the authorities will strengthen inspection and control of key areas. Specifically, the land border routes will focus on the main border gates including Nam Can (Ky Son), Thanh Thuy (Thanh Chuong) and the secondary border gates Tam Hop (Tuong Duong), Ta Do (Ky Son), Thong Thu (Que Phong), Cao Veu (Anh Son) and border openings. The sea border route will focus on controlling the sea areas of Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo - Ben Thuy international border gate and the main river mouths and inlets.

In the domestic market, focus on checking and controlling warehouses, cargo yards, cargo distribution centers in Vinh city and some district and town centers, cargo transport vehicles on National Highway 1, National Highway 7, National Highway 48, Ho Chi Minh road, Vinh airport, Vinh railway station.
The authorities will intensify the fight against the trade of prohibited goods, smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, weapons, firecrackers, explosives, fireworks, drugs, and forest products. At the same time, they will check the circulation of essential consumer goods during Tet; clothing, food, animal products, alcohol, beer, cigarettes, candy, fruits, cosmetics, children's toys, etc.
To effectively implement this peak period, the Provincial People's Committee requests that, for border routes, the Customs, Border Guard, Forest Rangers and People's Committees of districts with border gates and openings focus on coordinating to control, detect and handle acts of smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across the border, trade fraud at border gates, trails, openings, river mouths, and sea channels; strictly control goods and luggage of passengers entering and exiting the country via air routes, road and sea border gates to promptly detect and handle violations.
For the domestic market, the Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Police to direct local police to develop plans and establish special projects to combat and destroy gathering places for smuggled goods, production and trade of counterfeit and banned goods. Investigate and clarify cases related to smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods. The Department of Industry and Trade proactively monitors and forecasts early the supply and demand of goods, especially essential goods in the area to have plans to ensure supply and demand balance, stabilize the goods market before, during and after Tet.
The provincial Market Management Department strengthens coordination with relevant functional forces to inspect, control, detect and strictly handle acts of transporting and trading smuggled goods, prohibited goods, trade fraud, production and trading of counterfeit goods, poor quality goods and violations of price listing, hoarding, trading of expired goods, etc.

Focus on checking items such as food, foodstuffs, alcohol, beer, confectionery of all kinds, transportation of goods that do not ensure food safety; essential items such as gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, etc.

Destroying smuggled and counterfeit goods. Photo: Hai An

Nghe An Tax Department inspects, examines taxes and supervises compliance with tax laws and policies, synchronously and resolutely deploys solutions to prevent budget loss, strictly manages and strictly handles subjects using illegal invoices to legalize smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, goods of unknown origin, etc. Coordinates with competent authorities in investigating, verifying and handling subjects of smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods related to tax management.

A representative of the Provincial Market Management Department said: Implementing the Provincial People's Committee's plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year, the Market Management Department has deployed and proposed solutions: Actively coordinating with functional agencies and local authorities to focus on inspecting and controlling essential goods with high consumer demand during the end of the year and Lunar New Year.

The industry inspects and handles the transportation and trading of smuggled goods, banned goods, production and trading of counterfeit goods, goods that infringe intellectual property rights, and prevents speculation, hoarding, and unreasonable price increases during Tet.

The fight against counterfeit goods, fake goods, goods violating intellectual property rights, and poor quality goods is extremely difficult and complicated, requiring the responsibility of not only market management agencies and functional forces but also the total participation of the whole society and consumers./.

Hai An