Poor electrical cable quality shocks experts

The quality of most electrical wires made in the country is abysmally low in the absence of clear-cut quality standards, consumer’s ignorance, and producers’ need to cut costs in the highly competitive market.

Colonel Tran Thanh Chau, deputy director of the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department, said most fires occurring in HCM City in the recent past were related to electricity.

Last year there were 193 fires and explosions in city buildings, 60 per cent of them caused by electricity, he said, adding the rate was 90 per cent for all fires in the city.

A recent test of electrical cables by the Centre for Studying and Consulting Consumption (CESCON) found just one out of 36 samples of electrical wires and the insulation made by 15 companies meeting all quality and safety standards.

It was made by the Viet Nam Electric Wire and Cable Joint Stock Company (CADIVI), which had received certification for quality last May. All the other samples only met some of the quality standards.

CADIVI deputy director Nguyen Loc said in the last five years the company set aside VND140 billion (US$7.4 million) just to improve product quality.

Analysts said in most low-quality electrical wires and cables, conducting strands (conductors) and insulation covers do not meet standards.

The conductors do not have enough copper and some even contain foreign substances.

Insulation covers are often made using recycled plastics and so easily break off, causing electricity leaks and short circuits.

Race to cut costs

Market officials attributed the low quality of electrical products to the fierce competition in the industry that has resulted in some factories even being closed.

Manufacturers have to compromise on quality to cut costs, they say.

But despite the low-quality, many producers claim to have loyal customers and a clear market share.

The director of a cable manufacturing company says his company has to compromise on quality to lower prices because their customers are mainly rural and do not attach too much importance to quality.

The other major buyers, builders, prefer cheap cable products to expensive ones to cut costs, he adds. An executive from another firm said low-quality cables remain popular since most customers do not know the dangers they pose and pay more attention to prices.

CESCON’s deputy director, Phan Dinh Tung, says customers are not provided information on product quality or prices.

Enterprises exploit these loopholes to make profits, he adds.

Analysts stressed the need to strictly control quality to ensure users’ safety and reduce the losses from fires caused by short circuits.

Nguyen Phuong Nam, chairman of Robot Company, says the Government should have stringent technical standards for wire and cable manufacturers to safeguard consumers and force firms to the straight and narrow.

Tags: electrical cable quality, Vietnam electronics