Sufficient Supply for Tet Holiday

According to the plan, the amount of reserved commodities products will grow approximately 20 - 30 percent compared to the same period last year, domestically produced goods will continuously take the advantage and hold 90 - 95 percent of Tet holiday sales. With the purpose of diversifying styles and quality of products, Vietnam goods have not only become more and more familiar with customers, but also more and more favourable in the domestic market. This is a great sign for Vietnamese goods in enhancing competitiveness as well as replacing imported goods. In order to meet customers’ demands in Lunar New Year 2012, enterprises have actively reserved and ensured the supply of goods, which are from one and a half to two times higher than average demand. Goods including rice, meat, vegetables and sweets are first priority goods to avoid price increases and any instability in the end of the year.

 

Specifically, in Hanoi, businesses producing candy and cakes have established a plan for reserving and supplying about 18,000 tonnes of their product. Enterprises, shopping centres, super markets like Big C, Hapro, and Co.op Mart have actively used their financial sources to reserve many kinds of goods. In Ho Chi Minh City, enterprises have also financed about VND5,000 billion to reserve essential goods.

 

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has implemented and cooperated with People’s Committee of provinces and cities directly under the State to manage production and goods distribution, especially for foodstuff and vegetables, and carry out efficient solutions to protect poultry from colds in order to get rid of diseases. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has also been in charge of coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to actively monitor and ensure the balance of goods supply and demand throughout the country. Especially, intermediary channels need to be minimized to insure the thorough distribution of goods to customers.

In fact, this New Lunar Year season is estimated to be more difficult because of consumers cutting spending, so prices remain a top concern. The Government has issued Instruction 2051/CT-TTg dated 16/11/2011 to strengthen measures stabilising prices and the market, ensuring social security in the New Lunar Year. Accordingly, over 30 provinces are considered for price stabilising programmes, among them over 17 provinces have submitted their specific plans. Particularly, Hanoi has financed VND4 billion to arrange shopping centres for the Tet holiday, and opened one hundred convenient facilities selling goods to satisfy citizens shopping demands. Moreover, Hanoi raised its number of shopping facilities to 653, which means 150 facilities more than in 2010. There are 304 shopping facilities locating outside the centre, 68 in markets and 6 in industrial parks.

 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has also directed the Market Control Department to issue a synchronous solution of controlling markets, monitoring prices, and preventing speculation, hoarding, unreasonable prices, and false rumours. According to the Industry and Trade Department of Quang Ngai province, aiming to stabilise market in the last several months, the Industry and Trade Department has carried out various price stabilisation solutions. Accordingly, shopping facilities which will be financed to reserve goods and implement their task of stabilising markets are: Sai Gon - Quang Ngai Co.op Mart, Quang Ngai Foodstuff Company, and Biscafun Confectionery Factory. The stabilisation programme will last for 90 days, starting on 15 November 2011 in every shopping facility in the province. In shopping facilities, prices must be 5 to 10 percent lower than in the market. In terms of price fever, the Industry and Trade Department will enhance product supply to serve customers demands. In Hanoi, since July, it has advanced VND475 billion for enterprises to reserve goods for price stabilisation. As the result, enterprises involved in price stabilisation programme will target the nine necessary groups of foodstuff, included: rice; pork; chicken and duck meat; eggs; processing foods; frozen processing seafood; cooking oil; sugar and vegetables. Hanoi has also maintained activities of 561 price stabilisation facilities. In the capital, trade villages have also focused to produce goods for Tet Holiday, such as: agricultural products, foodstuff, candy, textile, and tea, with overall estimated cost of VND100 billion.

 

Besides that, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has also carried out several measures to enhance market supervision and control, and fight against counterfeit and low-quality goods, and imports with unclear origins, where these problems appear.