Commune "hotly" handles company that takes advantage of sales seminar against regulations

(Baonghean) - For the first time, a company took advantage of a product introduction seminar to sell goods in violation of regulations and was severely punished by local authorities; The incident took place in Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong), which is a good lesson for other localities to learn from...

On June 3, through the hotline, Nghe An Newspaper received information that in Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong), Toan Cau Science and Technology Development Joint Stock Company (abbreviated as the company) organized a conference to consult and introduce multi-purpose pan products. After introducing the products, the company organized sales of the products to people in need. Not only that, this company also introduced and sold functional foods with flowery advertisements. Nghe An Newspaper reporters went to Dong Van commune to grasp the situation...

Police suspended activities and made a record of illegal sales in Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong).

Previously, on June 1, this company organized a workshop in Luan Hoa hamlet (Dong Van) and sold a lot of products; the reporter went to the house of the head of Luan Hoa hamlet, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khang, he said: "The company's staff came to my house and presented the official dispatch of Thanh Chuong district, the letter of introduction from the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee asking to organize a workshop to introduce the multi-purpose pan product. They also asked me to send invitations to all households in the hamlet to come to the cultural house on June 1 to attend the workshop. Seeing that the company had all the documents and was introduced by the commune, the hamlet also created favorable conditions for the activity"...

That day, when the hall of the Luan Hoa hamlet's cultural house was packed with people, after introducing the uses of the multi-purpose pan, the company staff announced the price of a pan was 1,990 thousand VND. "They said that because of the state subsidy, 1 product was only 1,450 thousand VND. There were 7 people in the hamlet buying, of which I bought 1, the hamlet's party secretary bought 1... At the same time, they also sell pain-relieving sprays for shoulders, neck, knees, and spine..." - Mr. Khang added, then went into the house and brought out a blue carton box, 1 box of brain-nourishing blood circulation product and 1 red bottle. The information on the outside of the products stated "Made in Viet Nam", manufactured by Cuong Hau Company Limited (Phu Thi Industrial Park, Gia Lam, Hanoi), exclusively distributed by Global Science and Technology Development Joint Stock Company. However, when opening the inside, there was no information on the surface of the product related to the production date, barcode, brand...

Asked about the invoice, Mr. Khang said the company only gave a warranty card, and no other documents. As for the product of blood circulation and brain nourishment, this is actually a functional food, not a medicine. “They said this is a spray that helps reduce pain in muscles, neck, shoulders, spine... Each bottle like that they sell for 100,000 VND, along with a box of blood circulation and brain nourishment. People have been working hard in the fields for a long time, their bodies are tired, so when they see the medicine, they are excited to buy it. They sold it all and had to drive to get it from somewhere. They estimated that they sold about 100 boxes like that,” Mr. Khang said.

It is known that, in the name of implementing the policy of encouraging Vietnamese people to use Vietnamese products, Toan Cau Science and Technology Development Joint Stock Company has submitted a document to Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade asking for permission to organize an introduction of CH multi-purpose pan products. On April 7, 2014, the Department of Industry and Trade issued Document No. 312/SCT-QLTM agreeing to allow the company to operate as stated in the document. Then, after receiving the document from the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Industry and Trade of Thanh Chuong district also issued Document No. 28/PCT to communes and towns requesting to create conditions for the company to organize a product introduction workshop. The Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chuong, said: "When the company returned, they had an official dispatch from the District Industry and Trade Office and other documents, so the commune was required to create favorable conditions for them to operate. From here, the commune introduced the hamlets to coordinate with the company to organize effective product introduction seminars. However, to avoid cases where the official dispatch stated one thing but the company implemented another, in the letter of introduction sent to the hamlets, I required the company to implement the correct content based on the official dispatch from the District Industry and Trade Office...".

With the approval documents from all levels, the above-mentioned company in the hamlets in Dong Van commune has been operating busily day and night. However, with a high sense of responsibility, the Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee on the one hand agreed on the policy, but at the same time assigned the commune police force to grasp the situation and monitor the company's activities. After 1 day, the information reported showed that this company was not operating in accordance with the spirit of the documents issued by all levels. With the aim of preventing illegal activities, propagating and protecting the rights of the people, the Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee directed the commune police force to directly inspect the activities of this company...

On the evening of June 3, as announced, the above company organized a seminar in two hamlets, Luan Son and Dong Thuong. The commune police force divided into two groups to go to the two hamlets to observe the activities of the seminar. At the same time, Nghe An Newspaper reporters were present at the Luan Son hamlet cultural house. At about 8:45 p.m., when the hamlet cultural house hall was full of attendees (most of whom were women), the company staff demonstrated the uses of the CH multi-purpose pan, and then began to announce the price and asked anyone who wanted to buy to register to receive the promotion. Because the price of the product was too high, and the quality of the product was uncertain, people did not dare to buy. Seeing that the multi-purpose pan could not be sold, the company staff turned to introducing the spray product. To create trust, the company staff brought the spray directly to each resident to spray to prove the product's uses. People found the advertisement attractive, so they were excited to buy the product at 100,000 VND/jar of cream with a promotion of 1 box of blood circulation and brain nourishment.

Company employees sold functional foods to people without permission from authorities.

At this time, the Dong Van commune police force coordinated with Thanh Chuong district police officers in charge of the area to enter the cultural house to request to provide documents related to the product as well as the license of the competent authority, but the company's staff could not present them. Dong Van commune police made a record of the incident, confiscated the exhibits and asked the company to stop selling.

After being invited to the headquarters of the People's Committee of Dong Van commune to work, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thu and Mr. Nguyen Quoc An (2 officials of the company) still could not present legal documents related to the company's sales activities in Dong Van commune. Present at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Van commune, strictly pointed out the violations of Toan Cau Science and Technology Development Joint Stock Company and announced: After taking statements and sealing the collected evidence, the commune will complete the dossier to submit to the competent authority for handling according to the provisions of law. "This is not the first case that the commune has requested to stop operations. Previously, some organizations and units, after being introduced by the departments and offices in the district, came to the commune to organize propaganda and introduce products but in fact they were selling goods. When checking the procedures and related documents, they could not prove that they were in accordance with the regulations, so the commune requested to stop operations and leave the area" - Mr. Chuong added.

It can be said that recently, the situation of companies racing to localities to take advantage of organizing seminars to sell products is flourishing. These businesses take advantage of the "treasure" of approval documents from all levels and the tolerance of communes to operate openly, causing discontent among the people, but there has not been a single case where the commune authorities have conducted inspections, supervisions and taken timely measures to prevent violations as strongly as in Dong Van commune. That demonstrates the responsibility of the commune authorities to the people, at the same time doing a good job of preventing acts that violate regulations, affecting security and order, and the legitimate interests of the community.

Pham Bang