Small traders still aren’t quoting prices

Despite a regulation that took effect four years ago, products at most street markets in Ho Chi Minh City are still being displayed without a price tag.

For instance, at some markets such as Tan Dinh in District 1, Ba Chieu in Binh Thanh District and Tan Huong in Tan Phu District, price tags can only be found only on certain goods such as rice, eggs and dry food.

Many shoppers thus say they still have to be worried about being overcharged on those commodities whose prices are not quoted.

Pham Duc Thanh, head of the management board of Phan Van Tri Market, said only traders selling essentials such as meat, fish and vegetables had to follow the common prices set down by the board.

Analysts say the reason small traders are still ignoring the regulation because they wouldn’t be fined too heavily if they were caught.

Many market management boards admitted that their “penalties” for violators were indeed light and small traders only quoted prices if they knew they would be inspected.

A utensil seller at Bau Nai Market in District 12 said the management board had told small traderss they would be fined if they were found selling without price tags. “But we’ve rarely been fined so we don’t bother quoting anymore,” she said, adding that even after being fined, a vendor would continue without quoting.

For her part, Ha Thi Phi Hung, deputy head of the management board of Tan Huong Market, said the current regulation on price quoting was unlikely to be obeyed. If they quote, small traders have to replace the tags whenever prices change, and it would be very inconvenient, she said.

She thus suggested an alternative: manufacturers would print prices directly on the labels and packaging so that all traders would follow the same prices without having to use price tags. – Tuoitre

Tags: vietnam retail industry, Vietnam retail market