Signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding on consumer protection between the National Competition Commission and the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Memorandum of Understanding on Consumer Protection between the Vietnam National Competition Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the British Embassy will be a bridge for the two sides to cooperate in improving behavior and knowledge of consumer protection laws, product safety for consumers and strengthening the monitoring and recall of defective products and goods.

The UK will work with Vietnam to conduct research to identify the best means and methods of communication to disseminate information related to product recalls, defective goods and product safety to consumers in Vietnam. The research will also propose effective approaches for consumer protection enforcement agencies to interact with manufacturers, businesses and consumers, as well as with other relevant agencies and organizations to effectively implement the provisions of the Law on Consumer Protection of Vietnam.

Through training and capacity building, the UK Product Safety and Standards Authority will share best practices and lessons learned with the Competition Commission and relevant authorities through training courses, surveys and best practice learning, thereby helping to draw out relevant lessons in developing consumer protection and maintaining information transparency for consumers in both traditional and e-commerce markets. This MoU is valid until March 2028.

This cooperation is part of the UK-ASEAN Economic Integration Programme (EIP) which aims to enhance reform, economic growth and sustainable development.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang speaks at the signing ceremony

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Phan Thi Thang affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates the efforts, strong commitment and desire to cooperate and support the two sides in implementing consumer protection in Vietnam.

Considering that the UK is one of the successful examples in state management of product safety and consumer protection, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang hopes that the UK Government will help Vietnam in the field of training, capacity building for law enforcement forces on consumer protection, sharing information, good experiences, and cooperation in the field of product safety and recall of defective products and goods, especially in the context of the Law on Consumer Protection which has just been amended, supplemented and takes effect from July 1, 2024.

British Ambassador Iain Frew speaks

Expressing his belief that the signing of the cooperation agreement will contribute to creating conditions for increasing prosperity and promoting Vietnam's economy, British Ambassador Iain Frew said: The UK is among the top 10 countries in the world with favorable business conditions, international transparency index and global innovation index. These are the conditions that help the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland maintain its position as the 6th largest economy in the world.

Vietnam is a country with rapid economic growth in the world, one of the most diversified and highly integrated markets. The signing of this memorandum of understanding aims to enhance market transparency, promote a fair business environment and contribute to the promotion and economic development of the Vietnamese market in particular and the ASEAN region in general.

“The UK will support Vietnam in improving the business environment, in areas such as consumer protection, administrative reform, digital transformation…” - Ambassador Iain Frew said.

Immediately after the signing ceremony, the Vietnam National Competition Commission and the British Embassy in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Vietnam Consumer Protection Association and Industry and Trade Magazine, organized a seminar with the theme "Strengthening the protection of Vietnamese consumers' rights in the process of international e-commerce integration" to share experiences in consumer protection of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as discuss some directions for consumer protection activities in Vietnam.

Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/hoat-dong/hoat-dong-cua-lanh-dao-bo/le-ky-ket-ban-ghi-nho-hop-tac-ve-bao-ve-nguoi-tieu-dung-giua-uy-ban-canh-tranh-quoc-gia-va-dai-su-quan-lien-hiep-vuong-q.html

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