The Department of Planning and Investment of Dong Nai Province has created a database of information about enterprises in an attempt to prevent commercial fraud and sale of fake goods.

Nguyen Huu Nguyen, deputy head of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment, said the database would include information on enterprises’ business licences, activities and violations of regulations.

The database is expected to help local agencies quickly find information about enterprises that violate regulations.

The province has been struggling to prevent smuggling and fake goods, according to the steering committee on combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

Nguyen Ngoc Lien, vice chairman of Bien Hoa City in the southern province, said that most enterprises charged with violations were small scale and hard to control.

In addition, the procedures to apply for business registration certificates are too easy, and enterprises take advantage of this by changing their legal entity so they can continue to operate after being fined.

The province has detected more than 2,100 violations and handled 2,085 of them since the beginning of the year, according to the steering committee.

The total amount of penalties imposed on violating enterprises during that period was VND350 billion (US$15 million). — VNS