Law No. 19/VBHN-VPQH on Prices.

This Law provides for rights and obligations of organizations and individuals in price sector; activities of managing and regulating prices of the State.
Article 5 sets forward the principles of price management, including: 1. The State manages prices under the market mechanism; respects right of pricing, competition of prices of business organizations and individuals as prescribed by law. 2. The State has policies on prices aiming to support areas with difficult social and economical conditions. 3. The State regulates prices to stabilize prices, protect legitimate rights and interests of business organizations and individuals, consumers and interest of the State. Goods or services in price stabilization are essential goods or services for production, life being stipulated under the criterions as prescribed in Article 15, including: a) Finished petrol and oil; b) Electricity; c) Liquefied petroleum gas; d) Nitrogenous fertilizer, NPK fertilizer; e) Plant protection products as prescribed by law; f) Prevention vaccine for cattle, poultry; g) Edible salt; h) Milk for children under 06 years old; i) Edible sugar; j) Paddy, ordinary rice; etc. Measures for price stabilization include: 1. Making the supply and demand equable of goods produced in domestic and import - export goods; 2. Measures of finance, monetary conformable to provisions of laws; etc.
The State sets prices for: a) Goods or services under monopoly field in which the State manufacture, business; b) Important resources; c) National reserve goods; products, services for public interest and service of public career using state budget. The Government shall exercise the unified state management over prices throughout the country. The provincial People’s Committees shall, within the scope of their tasks and powers, perform the function of state management over prices in their provinces as prescribed by law. Rights of consumers shall include: 1. Selecting, making agreement and giving opinions when buying goods or service; 2. Being supplied information exactly, fully about prices, quality, and origins of goods or services; 3. Asking for compensation upon the goods or services having bought did not meet the standard of quality, quantity, price; Filing complaints, denunciations, suing or proposing social organizations suing against acts having signs of violation of law on prices under provisions of this law or other provisions of relevant laws; etc. The state management agencies in charge of prices shall perform the function of specialized price inspectorate as prescribed by law on inspection.