Besides local firms like Shopee, FPT, Tiki, Thegioididong, Adayroi, and Sendo, the e-commerce playground in Vietnam has seen the entry of several foreign giants, including Alibaba, Amazon, and Lazada.

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According to Germany’s Statista Market Research Company, the total combined revenue of e-commerce companies in Vietnam reached 2.26 billion USD in 2018, up nearly 30 percent from the previous year. The size of the Vietnamese e-commerce market was about 6 billion USD as of the end of 2018.

However, e-commerce in the country has turned into a haven for counterfeit and smuggled goods, as well as violations of intellectual property rights.

Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy Dang Hoang Hai said that most of the current online trading platforms fail to publicise consumers’ rights and duties, while fake goods are publicly sold.

E-commerce websites usually use images of real, genuine goods for sale at a much cheaper price to attract buyers, who then receive made-in-China products of low quality.

Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Market Management Tran Huu Linh said that the department is outlining stricter measures to handle such violations. It will work to develop a database and electronic receipt system to better control the market, he said, adding that the market management force will promote a communications campaign to raise public awareness of e-commerce regulations while enhancing international cooperation in cybersecurity.

In addition, the department will join hands with police, customs, border guard, and taxation forces to fight against smuggling, counterfeit trade, and violations of intellectual property rights.

A representative from the General Department of Taxation said that human resources training must be given due attention to ensure that officers hold expertise in taxation, accounting, foreign languages, and information technology to prevent tax fraud in e-commerce.

In addition, legal documents on taxation should be completed to fit e-commerce development, as well as the operations of organisations and individuals.

ASEAN countries sign first agreement on e-commerce

Economic ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on November 12 signed an agreement to facilitate cross-border e-commerce transactions within the region.

 

2018 – Golden time for e-commerce

 

 

Nearly half of Vietnamese shoppers buy premium products online

Forty-eight percent of Vietnamese consumers buy premium products online from local retailers, with cosmetics in the top category, a report says.

 

Online education comes to the fore in Industry 4.0

Opportunities along with challenges to online education in the context of the fourth industrial revolution were the main theme of the International Conference on Online Education 2019 (ICOE 2019) held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15. 

 

Online business market expands 30 percent in 2018

The size of Vietnam’s online business market grew by over 30 percent to about 7.8 billion USD in 2018, compared to only 4 billion USD in 2015, according to an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

 

Source: VNA