On July 10, Mr. Ngo Khac Thinh - Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Department of Nha Trang Ward - confirmed that the Ward People's Committee has issued a decision to sanction administrative violations against Mr. Nguyen The Tam, owner of Ngoc Tam Floating Restaurant, in the fields of planning and investment, food safety and price management.
This is the latest development after Lao Dong Newspaper published an article reflecting the fact that tourists accused floating rafts in Nha Trang of selling cowfish at a price of 2.9 million VND/kg.
According to Nha Trang Ward People's Committee, Ngoc Tam Floating Restaurant has 3 administrative violations.
Including: Changing business lines and occupations without notifying the business registration agency where the business household is headquartered; doing business in food services without a certificate of eligibility for food safety; not listing goods prices in one of the forms prescribed by law.
The total fine for the 3 violations is 20.75 million VND.
Previously, functional agencies received a complaint from Mr. T.A.H (residing in Hanoi) about his family using food services at Ngoc Tam Floating Restaurant on June 4.
According to reports, the restaurant sells cowfish boxes at a unit price of 2.9 million VND/kg. With a weight of 0.4kg, the amount customers have to pay for the fish dish is 1.16 million VND according to the provided invoice.
And Mr. Nguyen The Tam - owner of Ngoc Tam Floating Restaurant - denied that the establishment did not list prices. According to Mr. Tam, on June 4, two tourists came to the floating raft to use the dining service.
During the exchange, the establishment publicly announced the prices of seafood and customers agreed to choose. After the meal, customers paid more than 1.7 million VND and did not have any comments when leaving the restaurant.
Regarding the price of cowfish boxes at 2.9 million VND/kg, Mr. Tam said that this is a reasonable price, not an act of "overcharging".
According to the facility owner, at some peak times, the price of cowfish in boxes on the market may exceed 3 million VND/kg.
Mr. Tam also said that he does not rule out the possibility that the reflection stems from unfair competition, affecting the business operations of floating rafts.
