Trade services's preparations for tet festival
HANOI - Consumption will increase considerably while prices of commodities will have a slight rise during the pre-Tet period.
The Ha Noi Trade Service said that goods consumption is expected to grow by between three to five percent during Tet this year, adding that it has prepared pork, meat pies, and other processed food, cooking oil, fish sauce, refined sugar, confectioneries, square cakes, wine, beer and soft drinks, cigarettes, fresh fruits, clothes, and petroleum for Tet. "These goods are worth 260 billion VND (17 million USD)," an official revealed.
Meanwhile, the Sai Gon Trade Corporation will sell goods worth 849 billion VND (56.6 million USD) during Tet, an increase of 5.8 percent compared with the previous holiday season. The number of small traders in HCM City investing in orchards for tangerines and pomelos saw a year-on-year rise of from 20 to 30 percent. During pre-Tet days, the quantity of fruit brought into the city's major markets will reach around 140 tonnes per day, 50 tonnes more than usual.
Deputy Director of the HCM City Trade Service Tran Dinh Tho said that there won't be shortages of goods and consumption may increase by 30 percent while prices of goods won't rise unexpectedly during Tet.
To control the market before Tet, the Trade Ministry has asked provinces, especially border provinces, to prevent smuggled and fake goods. The ministry has also instructed enterprises and trade services throughout the country to prepare enough goods for the people, particularly those in regions prone to natural calamities, and to increase mobile goods-selling services.
Fashion shops in Ho Chi Minh City have discounted prices of ready-made clothes and footware by between 30 and 50 percent. In Ha Noi, domestic ready-made garments have regained the market shares for their low prices, relatively high quality, and fashionable designs. Long warm coats, leather boots, suits and Jeans have sold well, especially for the younger generation, as these fashionable clothes help warm up northerners against the biting cold weather.
Flowers are integrated into Viet Nam's traditional New Year festival. In addition to traditional flowers and bonsai such as peach flowers and kumquat trees, this Tet, Hanoians will have chances to enjoy flowers grown in thousand km-away localities such as from the high-level resort town of Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong and Ho Chi Minh City, and even flowers imported from neighbouring China and the world flower kingdom of the Netherlands.
Prices, however, will skyrocket by around 50 percent, said flower growers.
Peach growers in Ha Noi said the recent long spells of piercingly cold weather killed half of the buds in their orchards. The weather has also stunted the bloosoming of other flowers, making them scarce during Tet.
Meanwhile, kumquat growers benefit from the cold weather as it has prevented the fruit from early ripening.
In the south, Ho Chi Minh City has been suffering from abnormal hot weather and showers, making Apricot flowers either decay or blossom early. The flower prices are, therefore, forecast to rise by between 30 and 50 percent as compared to the previous Tet.
Many tourist sites, entertainment parks, and cinemas have already prepared special programmes for Tet. Travel agents have already launched programmes for promotion of in-bound and out-bound tours during Tet.
Means of public transport such as railways have already been strengthened since last December. The railway sector has added a number of trains and opened 13 more ticket booking stations. The sector has also decided to reduce train fares for mothers of fallen soldiers, war invalids and students.
Viet Nam Airlines, the national flag carrier, has also increased more than 200 flights for all routes, including 150 flights along domestic routes. The trans-Viet Nam routes with stop-overs in Ha Noi, central Da Nang province, and Ho Chi Minh City, have seen more flights conducted late in the day from 20h to 23h every day.
The Vietnam News Agency - January 14, 2003.
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