In his welcoming speech at the launching ceremony for the Vietnam Consumer Program 2025 hosted by Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy on December 18, which announced and honored trusted products and services, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Ngoc Linh, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), highly praised the program.
The program has been initiated and organized by Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy Vietnam Economic Times since 2006. This year's edition focused on gathering consumer opinions on product quality, brand identity, business ethics, and future consumer intentions through the publications of the Vietnam Economic Times Group. The program also included surveys, information dissemination, and communication activities across the magazine's publications and special issues, combined with in-depth seminars and discussions.
With the theme "True Quality – Real Trust," this year's program focused on high-quality products and services with unique identities and transparent information, aiming for a sustainable and responsible consumer market. As Vietnam's economy is rapidly transitioning towards digitalization, consumer protection has become a crucial pillar in building a transparent, humane, and sustainable economy.
"If we consider the market as a living organism, then consumers are the 'heart' that sustains its operation. All production, business, and service provision activities aim to meet consumer needs. Therefore, when consumer rights and interests are ensured, market trust is strengthened, and the economy operates more healthily and transparently," Dr. Linh stated.
In reality, markets with robust consumer protection mechanisms always have higher competitiveness indices. Enterprises therefore not only comply with the law but also view respecting consumers as a sustainable brand development strategy. In Vietnam, many businesses are also shifting towards publicizing product information, implementing traceability, establishing multi-channel customer care centers, and proactively recalling defective products. This not only helps strengthen customer trust but also creates long-term competitive advantages, according to Dr. Linh.
Challenges always come with opportunities. The Ministry of Industry and Trade's 2026-2030 plan emphasizes the application of information technology, big data, and artificial intelligence in consumer protection and monitoring. When a national database is built and connected, detecting and early warning of violations or monitoring business behavior will become more transparent and accurate.
At the final but most crucial link is the consumer, where every choice carries a mission. "If there are no buyers, counterfeit goods will automatically disappear. Being vigilant in every transaction, decisively choosing products with clear origins, saying 'no' to suspicious transactions, and being ready to report violations not only protect personal rights but also strongly support legitimate businesses, contributing to market purification," Dr. Linh emphasized.
Therefore, protecting consumers also means protecting the market and future generations, he noted, adding that when all parties act together, a "transparent consumer culture" will gradually form – the foundation for Vietnam's economy to develop more sustainably, responsibly, and humanely.
Commending the Vietnam Economic Times Group for maintaining and successfully implementing the Vietnam Consumer Program for 19 years, Dr. Pham Ngoc Linh said he believed that in the future, the program will continue to excel, further solidifying the retail business community, promoting two-way and multi-dimensional information exchange between producers, distribution channels, and consumers, thereby contributing to market stabilization, increasing purchasing power, and stimulating consumption.
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