Customers shop at the MM Mega Market in District 12 in HCM City. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Industry and Trade has asked businesses to prepare a wide range of essential goods commonly consumed during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices.

Speaking at a press conference last week, Lê Huỳnh Minh Tú, deputy director of the department, said priority must be given to ensure supply and demand balance for essential and important goods such as petrol, food, foodstuffs, and consumer goods that are in high demand during the holiday.

Large retailers need to work with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure sufficient supply of goods such as pork and other fresh meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables and processed food.

Local businesses have been asked to provide more varieties of processed goods for Tết, including beverages, confectionery and dried fruits and jams, at stable prices.

The department will work closely with distribution systems to run campaigns to offer deep discounts, especially for fresh food, before the holiday to support consumers, along with gift vouchers.

The department also wants businesses to participate in the city’s annual price stabilisation programme to supply enough goods and keep prices stable before and after the holiday.

It will also coordinate with the Market Management Department to strengthen the inspection and management of the market to prevent speculation, hoarding, circulation of counterfeit goods and goods of unknown origin.

To support businesses, the city will organise trade promotion activities to stimulate consumer demand, including the Shopping Season 2022 programme, which will take place from November 15 to December 15. 

The city will also organise a year-end consumer goods fair, according to Tú.

The department has estimated that more than 40,000 tonnes of goods have been reserved to serve the needs of HCM City for the holiday. 

The city’s modern distribution system includes 237 supermarkets, 46 shopping centres and 3,026 convenience stores, along with three wholesale markets in Bình Điền, Hóc Môn and Thủ Đức, ensuring a supply of essential goods and foods for its residents. 

In a related issue, the department has also instructed major fuel traders and distributors to ensure adequate supply of petrol and diesel to meet demand and prevent illegal hoarding by petrol stations.

It called on People’s Committees at all levels to closely monitor fuel traders and distributors and promptly punish those found hoarding and committing other violations.

Nguyễn Tiến Đạt, deputy director of the city Market Management Department, said through inspections by the Market Management Department, there was no illegal hoarding by petrol stations. However, there is still a shortage of gasoline supply, causing some stores to have no gasoline to sell. 

Some gas stations in the city stopped selling gasoline while maintaining diesel sales amid concerns about a fuel supply crunch spreading in the country.

Experts said low profit margins seem to discourage retailers from keeping gas stations open because authorities had a cap on retail prices. 

Petrol demand has increased in the country amid an economic recovery from the two-year pandemic, pushing demand to exceed supplies, resulting in shortages and higher prices.

The city has 29 retail stores and 550 petrol stations. — VNS