Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called for measures to control markets and punish any breach of price regulations, especially for essential goods.

Customers buying pork at a supermarket in HCM City. PM Nguyen Tan Dung has urged relevant agencies to strengthen price controls, especially for essential commodities.

In a dispatch issued February 20, the PM urged local authorities and relevant ministries to focus their efforts on controlling prices, the fight against counterfeit goods, poor-quality goods and cookings that do not meet hygiene and safety standards.

He also called for steps to prevent speculation and raising prices to gain illegal profits.

The country’s economy, this year, is expected to face more difficulties than in 2008, the PM said.

Along with solutions to tackle problems faced by the economy, in order to maintain reasonable economic growth and ensure social security, the government has adopted regulations to control prices based on a market mechanism, particularly for major commodities that greatly influence production and people’s lives, such as oil, electricity, coal and others, he said.

To stabilize prices, as one solution to prevent recession, Mr. Dung asked the Finance Ministry to coordinate with relevant agencies and authorities to reinforce price controls to protect consumer rights and interests. Severe punishments should be imposed on those violating price regulations, he added.

He also asked the Ministry of Health to tighten regulations on pharmaceutical prices, preventing illegal increase in prices. Any infringements on medicine prices and quality must be punished.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must ensure the supply and the quality of fertilizer, seeds, cattle and pesticides, he said.

All local governments must step up market controls to maintain stability in the market and punish any infringements, he asked.

VietNamNet/SGGP