Counterfeit goods make up 10 percent of the trade fraud cases officialsdealt with in 2014, but some say that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Fakegoods continued to flood the market due to ineffective coordinationamong agencies and law enforcement, officials said at a forum held onApril 9 on the Government Portal.
Authorities dealt with nearly22,000 cases of counterfeit goods in 2014. Nguyen Van Can, Chief of theNational Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling,Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities office (Committee 389), said thatnumber wasn't even close to the amount of fake goods stocked everymarket across the country.
Currently there are six separategovernment forces responsible for preventing smuggling and trade fraud:customs, border police, police, tax authorities, maritime police andmarket management forces.
The agencies needed to share moreinformation and coordinate, Can said, adding that in 2014 only 11 casesof counterfeit goods were prosecuted and the rest resulted in fines.
Examplesinclude a company in Binh Dinh province that bought 7.2 tonnes ofmaterials and equipment from China to produce fake monosodium glutamate.Also, Ho Chi Minh City officials seized 12 tonnes of fake supplementalfoods in January.
"The law stipulates that any person whoproduces or transports counterfeit goods having a value of 30 millionVND (1,500 USD) or more could face imprisonment," he said.
"Thecommittee is aware that the government agencies and local authoritieshave not strengthened their control over counterfeit goods."
Beer, wine, cosmetics, pesticides and fertilisers made up the majority of counterfeit goods seized in 2014.
NguyenTrong Tin, Deputy Director of the trade ministry's Market ManagementDepartment, said his department had trouble instructing local marketmanagement agencies on how to deal with the fake goods. They also faced alack of staff and equipment at the border gate, which made it difficultto deal with the more sophisticated smugglers.
Domestic firmshad incurred huge losses due to counterfeit goods, but yet thesebusinesses didn't co-operate with local authorities to combat theproblem, officials said.
Nguyen Manh Hung, ViceChairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Standards and ConsumersAssociation (VINASTAS), said many businesses feared cooperating meantannouncing that fake versions of their products were being sold at themarket, and could stop customers from buying their real products.
In2014, the association received more than 500 complaints from consumers,but it hasn't been able to bring a single case to court. Hungattributed this to consumers' limited awareness about their rights andtheir apathy toward associations.
Le The Bao, Chairman of theVietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection,also agreed that the role of associations and businesses in fightingcounterfeit goods must be improved.
"Counterfeit goods hurt oureconomic growth and the well-being of the entire society," he said. "Wecannot condone and use counterfeit goods."
A lack ofstandardisation in labeling allowed counterfeit producers to producefake labeling and transport counterfeit goods, said Nguyen Hung Anh,vice chief of the anti-smuggling and investigation department underVietnam Customs.
Can, chief of Committee 389, saidthe Government would tighten inspections, particularly at border gatesand provide better equipment to detect counterfeit goods.
Committee 389 would increase its supervision of major counterfeitcases and monitor whether these cases would be prosecuted, Can said.
Tin from the Market Management Department called for higherfines to deter counterfeiters, and more crackdowns at supermarkets andcommercial centers where fake goods were sold alongside authenticproducts.-VNA
Fakegoods continued to flood the market due to ineffective coordinationamong agencies and law enforcement, officials said at a forum held onApril 9 on the Government Portal.
Authorities dealt with nearly22,000 cases of counterfeit goods in 2014. Nguyen Van Can, Chief of theNational Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling,Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities office (Committee 389), said thatnumber wasn't even close to the amount of fake goods stocked everymarket across the country.
Currently there are six separategovernment forces responsible for preventing smuggling and trade fraud:customs, border police, police, tax authorities, maritime police andmarket management forces.
The agencies needed to share moreinformation and coordinate, Can said, adding that in 2014 only 11 casesof counterfeit goods were prosecuted and the rest resulted in fines.
Examplesinclude a company in Binh Dinh province that bought 7.2 tonnes ofmaterials and equipment from China to produce fake monosodium glutamate.Also, Ho Chi Minh City officials seized 12 tonnes of fake supplementalfoods in January.
"The law stipulates that any person whoproduces or transports counterfeit goods having a value of 30 millionVND (1,500 USD) or more could face imprisonment," he said.
"Thecommittee is aware that the government agencies and local authoritieshave not strengthened their control over counterfeit goods."
Beer, wine, cosmetics, pesticides and fertilisers made up the majority of counterfeit goods seized in 2014.
NguyenTrong Tin, Deputy Director of the trade ministry's Market ManagementDepartment, said his department had trouble instructing local marketmanagement agencies on how to deal with the fake goods. They also faced alack of staff and equipment at the border gate, which made it difficultto deal with the more sophisticated smugglers.
Domestic firmshad incurred huge losses due to counterfeit goods, but yet thesebusinesses didn't co-operate with local authorities to combat theproblem, officials said.
Nguyen Manh Hung, ViceChairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Standards and ConsumersAssociation (VINASTAS), said many businesses feared cooperating meantannouncing that fake versions of their products were being sold at themarket, and could stop customers from buying their real products.
In2014, the association received more than 500 complaints from consumers,but it hasn't been able to bring a single case to court. Hungattributed this to consumers' limited awareness about their rights andtheir apathy toward associations.
Le The Bao, Chairman of theVietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection,also agreed that the role of associations and businesses in fightingcounterfeit goods must be improved.
"Counterfeit goods hurt oureconomic growth and the well-being of the entire society," he said. "Wecannot condone and use counterfeit goods."
A lack ofstandardisation in labeling allowed counterfeit producers to producefake labeling and transport counterfeit goods, said Nguyen Hung Anh,vice chief of the anti-smuggling and investigation department underVietnam Customs.
Can, chief of Committee 389, saidthe Government would tighten inspections, particularly at border gatesand provide better equipment to detect counterfeit goods.
Committee 389 would increase its supervision of major counterfeitcases and monitor whether these cases would be prosecuted, Can said.
Tin from the Market Management Department called for higherfines to deter counterfeiters, and more crackdowns at supermarkets andcommercial centers where fake goods were sold alongside authenticproducts.-VNA
