With the Lao New Year festival just around the corner, the Department of Industry and Commerce in Vientiane Capital has reminded shopkeepers and stall owners that they must adhere to the rules governing the provision of goods and services during the festival.
The department has said that prices for goods and services should not be increased, nor should products be deliberately held back to create artificial shortages.
Mr. Nunta Sanuvong, Director of the Department of Industry and Commerce, informed that a police force will be deployed to check prices across stalls in Vientiane Capital. Anyone found to be breaking the rules will be fined according to the law.
The department also gathered 12 main market operators from across Vientiane to sign an agreement to guarantee the supply of goods in the markets and to ensure that there are no shortages, as has been seen in previous years.
Additionally, it will keep a close eye out for stalls selling out-of-date products or items that have been banned for import, particularly pork products, in light of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam.
Champasack province authorities have also taken measures to curb price hikes during the Lao New Year. Checks will be carried out during the festival and officials have already issued notices to vendors in Pakse City to encourage them not to raise the price of goods and services during the holiday.
Consumers are advised to call the consumer trade hotline number 1510 if they find products on sale at incorrect prices, observe out-of-date products, or witness any other infringements of the law.
