Capital police seize smuggled tobacco

HA NOI — Capital police on Tuesday seized more than 18,000 smuggled packets of cigarettes that had been stored and sold by an individual in Nguyen Sieu Street in Ha Noi.

Nguyen Thi Thoa, 45, was found to have sold 5,800 smuggled packets of cigarettes at her shop in Nguyen Sieu Street. Another 12,600 packets belonging to the woman were found by police at a nearby warehouse.

Landlords overcharge tenants for electricity

HCM CITY— The Ministry of Industry and Trade has begun to crack down on landlords charging tenants extra for electricity.

In an instruction on Monday (March 15), it ordered power companies around the country to monitor the situation and report violations to local industry and trade departments.

The departments have been ordered to severely penalise landlords who charge extra for electricity.

It is common for landlords to charge lessees VND2,500 to VND3,000 for a kilowatt hour of power while the highest rate charged by utilities is only VND1,890.

The ministry has asked tenants to report to the Department of Industry and Trade office in their area in case of gouging.-VNS