According to a recent survey by the Consumer Protection Association, 55 percent of consumers are not aware of their rights.

Every year the Vietnam Competition Authority (VCA) deals with 100,000 violations of consumer rights and the Vietnam Standard and Consumer Protection Association (VINASTAS)  receives thousands of complaints from consumers across the country.

Consumers can protect their rights by boycotting products, and Vietnamese consumers are now prepared to do that, making them a poweful social force.

Professor Soyraya Meky of Paris University says that in France, consumer protection is provided by a non-governmental organisation which checks the quality of goods and services and ranks them. It not only provides consumers with a wealth of information about the products they need, but is also an effective way for businesses to advertise their products.

France and other EU countries attach great importance to protecting people’s health and they have a lot of protective regulations.

According to Nguyen Nhu Phat, Director of the Institute of State and Law, the increasing number of consumer complaints stem from the consumers’ disadvantageous position relative to sellers, the shortage of accurate product information, and consumers’ financial vulnerability.

In order to create equality between consumers and sellers, there should be laws to protect consumers’ rights that is independent of social relationships, said Phat.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said protecting consumers’ rights is the responsibility of the whole society, although the business community plays a central role. By protecting consumers’ rights, businesses’ will be able to raise their prestige and earn their customers’ trust.

Anh said that because the legal framework for protecting consumers’ right covered by civil law and other regulations is inadequate, it is necessary to fashion new consumer protection laws, not only to protect consumers’ rights but ensure the country’s sustainable development.