Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Cities and provinces nationwide have stockpiled key commodities to serve demand, in anticipation of the Lunar New Year festival, which is forecast to increase by 15-20 percent annually.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Domestic Market Department, the total volume of goods for the holiday in Hanoi is expected to surpass 21.6 trillion VND (981 million USD).
Local firms will sell goods in more than 1,100 points of sale, hold 12 Vietnamese goods fairs, nine Vietnamese goods weeks, and open 210 mobile vendors in outlying districts, industrial and processing parks.
While in the southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City, goods for sale between now and the New Year festival is valued at more than 16.2 trillion VND (727 million USD), over 6.8 trillion (309 million USD) of which is made affordable to consumers, under a State-initiated price stabilisation scheme, up 40 percent year-on-year.
In the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, goods available for sale are worth an estimated 2.5 trillion VND (113.6 million USD).
The ministry established six working groups in charge of uncovering smuggling and trade fraud cases, and monitoring food hygiene, particularly much-consumed goods such as alcohol, cigarettes and other beverages.-VNA
