Business » Finance
Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture accused of overcharging
  • By An Linh | dtinews.vn | August 26, 2018 01:42 PM
A company in the northern province of Bac Giang has accused the Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture of overcharging exhibition stall rental and electricity fees for its stalls.

Giang Son Joint Stock Company in Yen The District, Bac Giang Province, has sent a petition about the case to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and related ministries and agencies. 

  

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture

According to the company, the centre located in Hanoi applied the stall rental fee of VND100,000 (USD4.54) per square metre in the 2012 - 2016 period. During the time, the electricity fee was VND4,600/kWh.

In 2017, these fees were suddenly increased sharply to VND200,000-240,000 (USD9.09-10.90) per square metre.

The firm’s director Nguyen Thi Tam said the firm had to pay around VND7 million (USD318.18) for the stall and store rental per month in 2017. The fees have been continued this year, meaning that the company has to pay an additional fee of VND39 million (USD1,772) for the whole year compared to the level of 2017.

Due to the high fees, the company’s fee payment has been late, so, the centre has cut electricity for its stalls and stores, spoiling products. Giang Son JS Company estimated losses of around VND100 million (USD4,545) due to the damaged products.

Meanwhile, some rooms at the centre have been leased to services which are not related to the agricultural sector such as yoga.

Speaking to DTiNews, Hoang Van Du, the centre deputy director denied what the company said in the petition.

He added that over the past two years, Giang Son JS Company often failed to meet their contractual obligations signed with the centre. The firm also violated food safety regulations.

The centre contacted Giang Son JS Company many times for payment, but the company ignored this. To date, the company still owed the centre VND28.4 million (USD1,272).

Du highlighted that the centre used a vacant room for a yoga class which is for its staff members.

Leave your comment on this story