Controlling the market of essential goods after storms and floods

In the face of the situation of storm No. 3 and the post-storm circulation causing much damage, possibly affecting the market situation, the provincial authorities have increased inspection and supervision of commodity prices, resolutely and strictly handled violations, ensuring stable prices of goods, especially food, foodstuffs, and necessities.

Controlling the market of essential goods after storms and floods

Market management team No. 1 inspects goods trading in Ninh Binh city.

In recent days, to ensure market stability, the Market Management Department of Ninh Binh province has conducted inspections and reviews at a number of traditional markets, supermarkets, and shopping centers in the province. The inspections showed that at this time, the supply of goods is guaranteed and operating normally.

Ms. Tran Thi Ha, owner of a grocery store in Tan Thanh ward, Ninh Binh city, said: "Before storm No. 3 and heavy rain, some people had the mentality of stockpiling food, groceries, and necessities. Therefore, the store proactively imported more goods from distributors to serve the people. Regarding prices, we have done exactly as committed to the functional sectors of the province and locality before this year's storm season, which is to always ensure stable prices of goods...".

At the traditional markets in Ninh Binh city, the trading of food items such as green vegetables, meat, fish, etc. is quite busy. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mung, a food vendor at Mia market, shared: "Green vegetables and fresh food items are still quite abundant, the prices of essential items have almost increased."

To ensure food supply for people after the flood, the Department of Industry and Trade has requested supermarkets, shopping malls, distributors, retail stores, and management boards of traditional markets and wholesale markets in the province to ensure the supply of goods, especially essential goods.

Enterprises and business establishments assigned to reserve essential goods for disaster prevention and control, search and rescue are responsible for organizing the reserve of goods to ensure quality; proactively exploiting and reserving additional goods, especially essential goods such as: rice, salt, drinking water, processed food, etc.

At the same time, proactively coordinate with the People's Committees of districts and cities to grasp the situation of food, foodstuff, and clean water shortages, especially in isolated and cut-off areas due to floods, to deploy plans and update the amount of goods reserves to ensure adequate supply of essential goods for people.

Mr. Ngo Minh Kim, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade informed: "On this occasion, the industry always proactively closely monitors the supply-demand and price developments of essential goods for timely regulation. Closely coordinate with sectors and localities in the province to manage prices, control input prices, strengthen inspections, prevent hoarding, speculation, and price manipulation".

At this time, the provincial Market Management force has also simultaneously launched operations, deployed professional measures, strengthened local management to prevent, detect and promptly handle unusual developments of goods circulating in the market, strictly handled violations related to the field of prices, commodity speculation, creating scarcity of goods to raise prices, and illegal profiteering; resolutely not allowing hoarding and price hikes to occur to ensure price stability, supply and demand of goods, especially food, foodstuffs, gasoline, essential goods, etc.

The Market Management Teams have established Working Groups to closely monitor the areas at traditional markets, supermarkets, and shopping malls. Through inspection, the Provincial Market Management Department assessed: The market situation in the province is relatively stable, the supply of goods is still guaranteed, and the prices of goods at supermarket systems are kept stable.

In traditional markets, the prices of some vegetables imported from other provinces have increased but not significantly and are regularly replenished so there is no sudden increase in prices. Some locally produced vegetables such as water spinach, Malabar spinach, Malabar spinach, herbs, etc. have not increased in price; other items such as pork, beef, chicken, fish and dried foods (rice, beans, vermicelli, rice noodles, etc.) have not increased in price. Instant noodles and life jackets are in short supply because suppliers do not have any goods.

Up to now, supply and demand and prices of goods in Ninh Binh province are stable, there is no act of taking advantage of the storm situation to hoard goods or unreasonably increase prices of goods for profit.

In the coming time, according to forecasts, the storm situation will continue to be complicated. Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee has directed the Department of Industry and Trade to continue to develop additional plans to reserve goods, ensure the supply of essential goods as well as support businesses, retailers, and distributors to implement market stabilization programs to meet the consumption needs of the people. In addition, the Provincial Market Management Department needs to strengthen market inspection and control, prevent speculation, hoarding, and unreasonable price increases.

Article and photos: Nguyen Thom