PM orders measures to ensure warm, safe Lunar Festival for all

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed to issue a directive asking ministries, sectors and localities to roll out measures to ensure that all people enjoy a warm, healthy, safe and economical Lunar New Year Festival (Tet), the biggest festival of Vietnamese people in a year, which will be celebrated in mid-February this year.

The PM asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to keep a close eye on the market and actively direct localities to prepare supplies of essential commodities, meeting the demand of people in a full and timely manner, thus avoiding disruption of goods supply and sudden price increases.

The MoIT was also ordered to carry out programmes to stabilise the domestic market and bring Vietnamese products to rural, remote and island areas, while directing businesses to focus on supplying necessities and goods with high demands during the festival, ensuring the continuous and sufficient supply of goods to the market at reasonable prices.

At the same time, the PM stressed the need to ensure power and petrol supply before, during and after the festival, avoiding energy shortages in any circumstance.

Under the directive, the PM requested the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with ministries, sectors and localities to closely supervise price developments and strictly handle violations regarding prices, while working with authorised agencies to prevent and combat smuggling, trade frauds and the trading of fake and low-quality commodities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was assigned to monitor weather developments and prepare plans to respond to extreme weather conditions to ensure agricultural production, while cooperating with the MoIT to ensure sufficient supplies of food and foodstuff as well as food safety.

Particularly, the PM asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to provide timely and suitable support to policy beneficiaries during the festival, ensuring that all people can enjoy a warm Tet.

The MoLISA should pay attention to providing optimal conditions for workers at industrial parks, export processing zones and economic zones to return home for the holiday and return to work after that, with special care for labourers who suffer income loss and reduction as well as unemployment due to natural disasters, epidemics and business shrinking, the PM requested.

The Ministry of Transport was ordered to strengthen transport management to meet the rising travel demand of people during the festival.

Alongside, the Government leader also underlined the need for ministries, sectors and agencies to apply drastic measures to prevent epidemics, protect safety for political, social and cultural activities, and ensure defence and security.