Nghe An Market Management: 60 years of construction and development

(Baonghean) - 60 years ago, on July 3, 1957, the Government issued Decree No. 290/CP establishing the Central Market Management Board and Market Management Boards in provinces, cities, and autonomous regions to form the Market Management force and July 3 of each year is taken as the traditional day of the Market Management force.

Over the past 60 years, together with the Market Management force nationwide, through the ups and downs of history, Nghe An Market Management has continuously built and developed.

Market management officers destroy smuggled goods. Photo: VP

During the period 1957 - 1982, according to Decree 290/TTg dated July 3, 1957 of the Government, the Nghe An Provincial Market Management Board was established with the task of assisting the Provincial People's Committee (now the Provincial People's Committee) in directing and managing the local market according to the Government's policies and guidelines.

In the period of 1982 - 1990, according to Resolution 188/HDBT dated November 23, 1982 of the Council of Ministers, the Market Management Steering Committee of Nghe An province was established with a Market Management Team under its management, the main task of which was to combat the laxity of the free market, at the same time re-establish order in market activities, focusing on cracking down on speculative smuggling, counterfeiting, and illegal business activities.

During the period 1990 - October 1995, according to Decree 398/HDBT dated December 6, 1991, the main task of the Steering Committee was to assist the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee in directing market management, combating speculation, smuggling, production and trade of counterfeit goods and other illegal business activities. Later, according to Decree 35/CP dated April 25, 1994, the Provincial Market Management Steering Committee was transferred to the Department of Trade.

An important legal event for the Market Management force was on January 23, 1995, when the Government issued Decree No. 10/CP on the organization, tasks and powers of the Market Management. From then on, the Market Management was organized into a specialized, unified force from the central to local levels, with the function of inspecting, controlling the market, and fighting against violations of the law in commercial activities in the domestic market.

In 2000, the Government assigned the Market Management Department the additional function of specialized trade inspection; in 2001, it was assigned the additional task of being the Standing Agency assisting the Steering Committee against smuggling, counterfeit goods and trade fraud (referred to as Steering Committee 127, later Steering Committee 389).

Market management officers destroy smuggled alcohol. Photo: PV

In particular, on March 8, 2016, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued the Market Management Ordinance No. 11/2016/UBTVQH13, enhancing the legal status of the Market Management force, affirming that the Market Management force is a specialized force of the State performing the function of preventing, combating and handling acts of trading in smuggled goods; production and trading of counterfeit goods, prohibited goods, goods of unknown origin; acts of infringement of intellectual property rights; acts of violating the law on quality, measurement, price, food safety and commercial fraud; acts of violating the law on protecting consumer rights.

After nearly 60 years of construction and development, the Market Management force of Nghe An province has grown steadily. The Department has 3 specialized departments (Organization - Administration, Operations - Processing, Planning - Synthesis), 12 Market Management Teams to inspect and control all 21 districts, cities and towns in the province. The Department has a full Party organization, Trade Union, Youth Union, Veterans Association. The civil servant force is increasingly disciplined and tightly organized.

The entire Department has 127 civil servants and employees, including 5 masters and 97 civil servants with university and college degrees, accounting for more than 90%. Many comrades have bachelor's degrees and advanced political theory degrees. The Department's civil servants are increasingly proficient in their profession, steadfast in their political qualities, and their public service ethics are increasingly enhanced. In terms of facilities, 7 teams have spacious working offices, specialized cars, and computer systems connected to the internet...

Over the past 60 years, under the leadership and direction of the Ministry of Trade, later the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Market Management Department, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, the attention, support and close coordination of the governing sector (currently the Department of Industry and Trade), sectors, Party committees, local authorities, organizations and individuals, the Nghe An Market Management force has overcome all difficulties and completed the assigned tasks.

Since 1992, Nghe An Market Management force has inspected 245,700 cases, handled 159,720 administrative violations with a total fine of over 216 billion VND, destroyed many large-scale smuggling and counterfeit goods trading rings and gangs, contributed to stabilizing the market, protecting production and legitimate interests of consumers, contributing to the successful implementation of economic development solutions, market stabilization, ensuring social security, and has been trusted and highly appreciated by the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Committee, local authorities and people.

Market management forces control goods. Photo: PV

As the standing agency of the Provincial Steering Committee 127 (now the Provincial Steering Committee 389), Nghe An Market Management Department has coordinated well with other forces in the fight against smuggling, counterfeit goods, and trade fraud, advised on the development of coordination regulations and promptly implemented documents and directive plans of the Government and the National Steering Committee 389 on the fight against smuggling, counterfeit goods, and trade fraud in the province.

In the coming time, along with the increasingly deep economic integration process, the commodity market will be extremely rich and diverse, the situation of production and trading of counterfeit goods violating intellectual property and commercial fraud will become more and more sophisticated and complicated.

In addition, Nghe An is a province with a large area, a large population, and a long land and sea border with many border gates, openings, and a North-South traffic axis passing through. These factors will cause many difficulties for market management. To complete the task, the Market Management Department focuses on implementing the following key tasks:

Firstly, continue to closely follow the directions of the Government, ministries, branches, provincial People's Committee, Department of Industry and Trade in market inspection and control. Develop and implement plans and solutions to strengthen the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, goods violating intellectual property rights and food safety and hygiene.

Second, strengthen the organization and force building according to the Project approved by the Provincial People's Committee, build the Nghe An Market Management force to be more and more disciplined and tightly organized. Improve political capacity, professional ethics, professional qualifications, political theory, practice formal style, practice cultural behavior,... build a team of civil servants and workers who are dedicated to their profession, have healthy lifestyle ethics, and are proficient in their profession. Invest in increasingly adequate and modern facilities and equipment to meet the requirements of the task.

Third, strengthen coordination between agencies in market inspection and control according to Decision No. 6938/QD-UBND dated December 30, 2016 of the Provincial People's Committee. Promote the role of the Standing Agency of the Provincial Steering Committee 389.

Fourth, coordinate with media agencies to disseminate trade laws, promptly report on the results of the fight against smuggling, counterfeit goods and trade fraud, intellectual property violations, food safety and hygiene; organize exhibitions of genuine and counterfeit goods, ways to identify poor quality and counterfeit goods for consumers...

Fifth, strengthen forecasting, grasp market developments, supply and demand of goods; organize market inspection and control activities according to each industry topic, focus on key points; improve the effectiveness of the fight against smuggling, counterfeit goods, intellectual property violations, food safety and hygiene, contributing to market stability, creating conditions for production and business development.

Tran Dang Ninh
Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade, Head of Provincial Market Management Department