Conference talks e-commerce management

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy, Vietnam’s online retail sector has grown by over 20 percent annually over the last five years, surging to 6.2 billion USD last year from 2.2 billion USD in 2013. Revenue from e-commerce now accounts for nearly 3.6 percent of the country’s total retail and consumption. 

As scheduled, by 2020 Vietnam’s e-commerce market will be worth 10 billion USD. The country is also forecast to boast the fastest-growing e-commerce market in Southeast Asia. 

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said Vietnam now counts over 50 million Internet subscribers, making up 54 percent of the total population. E-commerce activities are not only seen on websites but also on digital platforms. 

Le Thi Ha, head of the department’s policy office, expressed concern over the control of goods quality as a number of merchants sell fake, counterfeit and sub-standard goods, causing economic loss and hurting consumers’ trust. 

Moreover, it is hard to contact merchants without branches or representative offices in Vietnam when problems arise, she said. 

The department suggested supplementing several framing regulations on e-commerce under the Commercial Law 2015, putting together a new decree in place of Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP, and completing a decree on dealing with administrative violations in the field. 

E-commerce firms suggested adding sales via social media and supply of trans-border services into Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP to create fairness for business sectors, and issuing a code of conduct to settle arising disputes to ensure the legitimate rights of both sellers and buyers./.

VNA