HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Localities in the Mekong Delta have coordinatedwith relevant agencies and businesses to ensure the COVID-19 outbreak does notdisrupt the supply of essential goods or causes price hikes, and plan to carryout food safety inspections to ensure people can shop safely.

According to authorities, amid the epidemic, ensuring the supply of goods isthe top priority.

The industry and trade departments in the region have called on all productionunits, distribution systems and retailers to make plans to stockpile essentialgoods, especially price-stabilised items, to ensure supply does not dry up.

Nguyen Van Tham, deputy director of Hau Giang province’s Department of Industryand Trade, said his department has coordinated with districts, towns andcities, businesses, supermarkets, and department stores across the province tostockpile rice, pork, chicken, eggs, seafood, vegetables, instant noodles,salt, cooking oil, bottled water, antibacterial cloth masks, antiseptic liquid,and toilet paper.

In case of an emergency, authorities would use specialised vehicles todistribute essential goods to people in quarantine, he added.

In Can Tho city, 11 businesses have registered to stockpile food and foodstuffsworth a total of over 553 billion VND (23.97 million USD), especially rice,meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, instant noodles, bottled water, processedfoods, and eggs.

Some others have registered to stock other products such as masks, antisepticliquids, toilet paper, and petrol.

The Can Tho municipal Department of Industry and Trade has coordinated withrelevant agencies and departments to set up three teams to inspect traditionalmarkets, supermarkets and businesses to ensure they comply with anti-COVIDmeasures.

It also plans to stock essential goods to meet demand under all circumstances.

Similarly, the Dong Thap Department of Industry and Trade has instructedcommercial centres, supermarkets, traditional markets, and businesses in theprovince to carry out an assessment of the risk posed by COVID and report plansto ensure supply of essential goods.

Businesses in the region have proactively made goods production and supplyplans, and distributors are actively working with suppliers to stock a varietyof goods.

Nguyen Kim Cuong, deputy director of Co.opmart Can Tho, said the volume ofstocks is worth around 18 billion VND (781,476 USD).

It has stepped up sales via telephone and app to make it easier for customers.

Like other Co.opmart supermarkets across the country, it has ensured sufficientstocks of goods at the best prices, she said, adding that it could provide1,000-1,500 hot meals a day.

Van Quoc Hoang, director of Co.opmart in Vinh Long pProvince, said currentlyhis supermarket focuses on increasing stocks of essential items that peoplecould store for long-term use such as canned foods, rice, spices, frozen goods,spring rolls, meat paste, milk, vegetables, fresh meat, and fish.

According to industry and trade departments in south-western provinces, alongwith stockpiling of goods, authorities also continue to exhort people to staycalm assuring them that the supply of essential goods is always abundant.

They also warn people not to hoard essential items, especially inflammable andexplosive items such as gasoline and oil.

Ho Chi Minh City has also vowed to ensure market stable.

According to their managements, the volume of goods arriving remains normal ataround 3,300 tonnes per night at the Thu Duc Wholesale Market and 4,160 tonnesat the Hoc Mon Wholesale Market in the city.

Retailers such as Saigon Co.op, Central Retail, Lotte Mart, and AEON Mall havestocked enough goods to ensure adequate supply and continue to take measures tosafeguard the health of customers and staff amid the rising community incidenceof COVID-19.

For instance, Saigon Co.op’s retail systems, including Co.opmart, Co.opXtra,Co.op Food, and Co.op Smile, have increased stocks of basic necessities such assugar, rice, cooking oil, salt, fish sauce, meat, poultry eggs, and dry foodsbesides hand sanitisers, soaps and anti-bacterial cloth masks to ensure steadysupply and prices for at least the next six months.

At all stores, customers are required to wear face masks, get their temperaturechecked and maintain social distance while shopping and waiting to pay.

Nguyen Anh Duc, general director of Saigon Co-op, said this time anti-epidemicmeasures have been stepped up because the outbreak is more threatening thistime.

The supermarkets’ two key tasks now are to ensure food security and a safeshopping environment for people, he said.

Saigon Co.op and other retailers are working with suppliers of essential goodsto offer discounts by turn on products to share the burden with consumers andminimise the increase in prices./.