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Officials crack down on smuggling
Senior Government officials have called for vigilance against speculation, smuggling, and fake goods for the rest of the year.
Speaking at a meeting on smuggling and trade fraud in Hai Phong on Tuesday, deputy minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu warned that smuggling across borders, speculation, and production and distribution of counterfeit goods could continue this year.
Tu, who is also deputy head of the national steering board for combating smuggling, counterfeit goods and trade fraud, said the northern border provinces still saw smuggling of coal into China.
Nguîen Dang Truong, head of the Market Management Board in the northern province of Quang Ninh, said following the campaign against coal smuggling in his province, smugglers now moved coal from Quang Ninh and other northern provinces to Lang Son before transporting it to China.
He said 3,000 to 5,000 tonnes of coal, iron and lead ores were illegally sold to China every month through the Lang Son border. These were carried by porters who used trails along the border in Tan Thanh and Dong Dang towns.
Not strong enough
Le Xuan Dai, deputy head of HCM City’s Market Management Board, said the penalties for smuggling, counterfeiting, and fraud are not strong enough.
During the rice "crisis" in April, the city market management forces seized more than 200 tonnes of rice from a speculator but could only impose a fine of VND350,000 for "selling goods at higher than listed prices," he said. There are no penalties in the books for "speculation in domestic rice," he explained.
"The fine is not strong enough to deter violators."
The meeting was held a day after rumours of a hike in fuel price from the current VND19,000 per litre to VND26,000 spread, sending people scurrying to filling stations in HCM City and southern and Central provinces.
The Government has instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to draft decrees on penalties for speculation, smuggling and spreading rumours to create chaos in the market.
The charges of speculation and forcing prices up will apply in relation to 14 essential items including cement, steel, LPG, fertilisers, paddy and rice, salt, and sugar.
According to provincial market management boards, over 82,300 violations, involving a total of more than VND1.04 trillion ($63 million), were detected in the first half of the year.
The breakdown is: fines VND190 billion, back-taxes VND524 billion, and confiscated smuggled goods VND325 billion.
VNN
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