Customers shop for Tết. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội began a market stabilisation programme in May last year that will run until June 2021, including a plan to serve the coming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, said Trần Thị Phương Lan, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Industry and Trade.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Hà Nội had issued a plan to ensure goods supplement in co-ordination with relevant departments, Lan told a meeting on ensuring goods for Tết on Monday.

To date, 30 districts and towns of Hà Nội had built plans and 13 groups of essential goods had been stockpiled by businesses, worth a total of VNĐ39.4 trillion (US$1.7 billion).

However, attracting businesses to participate in the price stabilisation programme had been a struggle, with many businesses reluctant to control prices during price increases or decreases, said Lan.

Đỗ Tuệ Tâm, Deputy General Director of Hà Nội Trade Corporation (Hapro), said from May to now, the corporation had committed to reserving up to VNĐ1 trillion of goods, of which VNĐ200 billion's worth would be for Tết.

A report from the Hà Nội Department of Industry and Trade says that the essential goods for Tết include 292,500 tonnes of rice, 56,700 tonnes of pork, 18,900 tonnes of chicken, 18,459 tonnes of beef, 396 million eggs, 315,000 tonnes of vegetables, 11,114 tonnes of processed food, 15,740 tonnes of aquatic products and 156,000 tonnes of fruit.

Accessing the current capacity to supply essential goods in the locality, the department said rice could meet 57.7 per cent, pork 92 per cent and chicken meat basically met demand.

The units in the area had developed a plan to increase the number of essential goods for Tết with an average increase of 7 per cent to 22 per cent compared to the plan of last year, said the department.

At the meeting, Trần Duy Đông, director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Domestic Market Department, suggested the municipal Department of Industry and Trade work with other departments, branches and enterprises to ensure the quality of goods, as well as circulation and distribution.

He said the municipal Department of Industry and Trade needed to closely monitor market movements at the end of the year to respond promptly to market instability.

In addition, the Hà Nội Department of Industry and Trade needed to regulate the supply, sales plans and join hands with State management agencies to prevent soaring pig prices.

The department must also control the import, quality of goods with a clear origin, ensuring food safety and hygiene. — VNS