In order to protect consumers’ interests and create a healthy competitive environment, since January 1, 2014, in Vietnam, unreasonable increase or reduction in price for essential goods can be charged administratively.
Organisations, individuals producing or running business with goods and services belonging to list of price stabilised goods and services, must register price in period when the State applies price stabilisation measure. This list includes:
Petrol (not including petrol for planes), oil, diesel oil, mazut oil, retail electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LGP); urea fertiliser, urea NPK; botanic proactive medicine, vaccines to protect cattle; salt; milk for children under six years old; sugar; paddy rice, ordinary rice; medicine for preventive and treatment belonging to list of necessary medicines applied in hospitals.
Organisations, individuals producing and running business with specific goods and services, must declare and register the price: Goods, services belonging to the price stabilisation list in the period when the State do not apply price registration measure; cement, steel for construction; coal; cattle food, antidotal medicine, antiseptic medicine, and medicine for cattle, poultry and fish treatment; paper for printing, writing, and newspapers; price services in seaport, airport; railway services; textbook; domestic air ticket price; price of health examination and treatment services; transportation service for customers in fixed route, taxi; supplementary foods for children of under six years old; and other goods and services regulated in sectoral regulations.
Improper changes in prices of above mentioned goods and service will face administrative sanctions from VND1 million to VND55 million, depending on their total value and violation type. Besides, the money from these violations will also be paid to the State Budget.
Improper changes in price listed in Decree 109/2013/ND-CP and Circular 31/2014/TT-BTC include: Raising prices of goods and service higher than prices declared or registered with state authorities; raising prices in compliance with prices in registration form or declared documents, however these prices have not been approved by state authorities, required more explanation or are temporarily forced to stop being applied.
Raising or reducing prices of goods and service when prices forming factors are examined by the authorities.
Competent objects who have the right to implement administrative sanctions against improper price changes are Chief Inspector of the Finance Ministry, Chief Inspector of Prices, Chief Inspector of Finance Department, Inspectors and Chief Inspector of ministries, ministry-level agencies and relevant authorities, market management units, directors of People’s Committees of all levels.
Competent people who have right to implement administrative sanctions or public servants in missions of state management can make a report, creating a basis for administrative sanctions.
PLF said that to protect their rights, consumers can report to market management authorities when discovering any violations.
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