Hanoi ensures goods supply in all contingencies

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, deputy director of Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade

City residents rushed the supermarkets to buy goods due to fears over the soaring number of COVID-19 cases. What actions has the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade taken to curb the situation?

Right after receiving information about the new cases of COVID-19 infections in the city areas, our department sent a mission touring supermarkets and several wet markets in the city to affirm that the shelves in Hanoi are filled to bursting with goods.

Since early February, Hanoi has come up with diverse measures to stabilise the market and has spent more than VND31 trillion ($1.35 billion) on stocking essential goods. When COVID-19 began spreading, our department has required retail businesses to increase stock by 30-40 per cent of the usual volume and review the price of essential goods. We have also asked supermarkets and trade centres to declare prices on a daily basis to ensure timely interventions when necessary and to work with suppliers to harmonise supply and demand.

With close guidance towards retail businesses, I am sure that in any contingency, distribution systems in Hanoi have sufficient goods to feed people’s needs, even in case of an abrupt rise in demand.

What measures has the department prepared in case the COVID-19 epidemic is prolonged?

Our department has devised scenarios for our stocks based on four epidemic levels, ensuring that people's demands will be fully met even if the number of infections in Hanoi exceeds 1,000. We paid particular regards to scenarios of level 3 (infections surpassing 30) and 4 (over 1,000 infections), to avoid interruptions in goods supply. We have also worked on plans to moderate the supply of goods from suppliers and outlets outside of Hanoi to supplement supply in the city.

How will you ensure price stability?

People's rush to stock up on goods from last week is only temporary and the commodities market retains enormous goods supply.

Under instructions from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and by measuring people’s burgeoning demand via modern retail distribution channels during the COVID-19 times, our department has directed retail businesses to keep prices stable and avoid hoarding.

Market watchdogs are required to issue timely and transparent information on the supply of necessities and to keep the population up to date.