Hanoi is making efforts to increase the number of price-stabilisation areas in shops for the second phase of the programme.
The nine essential commodities are rice, pork, chicken and duck meat, chicken and duck eggs, food made from meat, fresh and frozen seafood, cooking oil, and refined extra (RE) sugar.
The prices of these items has risen sharply in recent months due to soaring input costs and a local shortage of essential supplies for production and consumption.
The city is making efforts to keep prices stable and curb the rising consumer price index while helping enterprises fulfill consumer demands.
The 12 businesses that received advanced capital from the city’s budget are all importers and distributors of the nine specified essential goods. They include Vietnam Intimex Joint Stock Corporation, owner of the Intimex supermarket chain; Hanoi Trade Corporation-the Hanoi-based operator of the Hapromart supermarket chain; and Nhat Nam Trade Company- owner of the Fivimart chain.
In the first phase of the programme, the city allocated VND 319.5 billion (US$15.3) out of a total VND 475 billion (US$23.3 million) for businesses to reserve the same nine items.
The current second phase of the programme will last until the end of April 2012.