HCMC – The HCMC Department of Industry and Trade has worked with other provinces and enterprises to prepare goods supplies worth over VND19 trillion for the upcoming Tet holiday, said Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the department.
At a seminar on goods supplies and prices in HCMC held by the Government Portal on December 28, Vu said after three months of the city economy being reopened, production and business activities had gradually returned to normal.
Wholesale and retail sales of goods and services increased from VND43 trillion in October to VND55 trillion in November and are expected to top VND66 trillion this month, he said.
Tet is the country’s longest annual holiday during which most retail stores and traditional wet markets are close, so Vietnamese people always rush to make pre-holiday purchases, especially of food.
Sufficient goods supplies will be ensured, and the consumer demand will not be as high as last year, Vu added.
Chairwoman of the HCMC Food and Foodstuff Association Ly Kim Chi said enterprises were preparing goods for Tet despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic.
At the seminar, representatives of food and foodstuff firms in HCMC said they are facing a surge of 20%-40% in input material costs but they will keep the prices of their products unchanged.
Pham Thi Huan, chairwoman of Ba Huan JSC, said the company’s eggs could meet 90% of the demand and their prices would be stabilized.
Similarly, Vissan will prepare 2,800 tons of fresh meat and 4,200 tons of processed meat for Tet, up 6% year-on-year, meeting the demand from local consumers, said Vissan deputy general director Phan Van Dung.
Vissan will also supply 1,000 tons of frozen pork.
Dung said the company would have sufficient products for local residents at stable prices during the Tet holiday, which begins in early February.
Meanwhile, Saigon Co.op has prepared goods for Tet for three weeks and will continue doing so for the next five weeks, Saigon Co.op general director Nguyen Anh Duc said, adding that the chain would prepare goods worth some VND6 trillion, mainly food, foodstuff and necessities.
In addition, the GO! / Big C supermarket chain has worked with suppliers to increase the pork and chicken supplies for this Tet by 20% and 25% over last Tet. The chain will also ensure sufficient vegetables, fruits and meat during the holiday.
