Recorded by Lao Dong reporter on June 2, although domestic and international tourists still come to visit and shop at Saigon Square, a series of clothing stalls, glasses, watches... are closed quietly.
Although they do not open for sale, many traders still sit in front of stalls to observe the situation. In particular, the stalls that displayed famous foreign branded products that are protected in Vietnam are almost "disappearing".
Stalls selling specialties, souvenirs, or high-end branded goods are still operating normally, but the quantity is not large.
Ms. 8:00 - a tourist from France shared: "I found some places to shop in Ho Chi Minh City and was suggested to come here. I have seen many stalls not operating, but the remaining stalls still have many quite interesting items with reasonable prices".
Previously, on May 29, the Working Group of the Market Management Department (under the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development) suddenly inspected Saigon Square simultaneously. Thousands of products suspected of being counterfeit were discovered and seized on the spot, although many stalls were closed to avoid them.
According to IPT Intellectual Property Consulting Company Limited - the representative of trademark protection for famous brands such as Rolex, BVLGARI, Chanel..., most of the products that the inspection team is handling show signs of counterfeiting trademarks that are being protected by the company.
Goods sold at some booths have packaging that does not comply with the company's standards, sewing lines are crooked, uneven, or even redundant; the logo or printed words on the product are blurred and lack sharpness. Notably, these products are sold at prices much lower than genuine products.
In addition to IPT Intellectual Property Consulting Co., Ltd., many law firms and law firms representing intellectual property for brands are also present at Saigon Square to identify signs of goods violations at business establishments.
According to Mr. Tran Viet Hung, Head of the Market Management Department, this is one of the typical cases during the peak month deployed by the Domestic Market Management and Development Department. Inspection activities at Saigon Square will continue to be carried out by the Department in the coming time, because this is a central area, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists when coming to Ho Chi Minh City.
The loose situation in local management not only leads to violations in goods trading but also damages consumer confidence, and also tarnishes the image of Ho Chi Minh City. This also negatively impacts the business environment of genuine businesses.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee established a full-time working group, headed by Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc. The team is responsible for directing and urging relevant units to coordinate in implementing the peak period against smuggling, trade fraud, and intellectual property violations, reviewing and loosely managing units, and assisting violators.
