Blue Flag caravan ready for street sales of consumer goods
The Commerce Ministry will roll out a caravan of 200 Blue Flag vehicles to sell consumer goods and has established two special working groups to prevent and suppress stockpiling and overpricing by retailers, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit after a meeting held to lay down guidelines on consumer goods as fears grow over the Covid-19 outbreak.
“The ministry will waive regulations on transportation of goods to retailer stores and convenient stores,” he said. “Also, we have appointed the Department of Business Development (DBD) to help develop a delivery system for timely supplies to grocery stores”.
He said the Blue Flag cars will be loaded with consumer products, such as rice, vegetable oil, canned fish, and hand wash gel for sale in communities in Bangkok and its surrounding areas, as well those provinces affected by Covid-19 before expanding throughout the country.
“We have discussed with product manufacturers and retailers to prepare products. The caravan is expecting to be launched on Tuesday (March 24),” he said.
He said two special working groups on the national and provincial levels had been established, tasked with the prevention and suppression of stockpiling and overpricing by retailers.
“The ministry’s permanent secretary will be the president of the national working group, while provincial governors will take charge of the provincial working group,” he said.
“We will hold a meeting with the Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee to evaluate the Covid-19 situation on March 25.”
He added that the ministry had adjusted its working methods by using teleconferencing with Provincial Commerce Offices nationwide and the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) in 15 countries worldwide.
“We will follow up various assignments, especially procuring face mask raw materials, increasing export markets, and reporting the Covid-19 situation in each country,” he added.