Interior ministry inks deal on counterfeit crackdowns
THE Ministry of Interior’s Counter Counterfeit Committee has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Investor Federal Association of Cambodia (IFAC) to combat the importation, production and distribution of fake products in the Kingdom.
At the agreement ceremony on Sunday, plans to burn more than 110 tonnes of counterfeit and spoiled products seized by police were also revealed.
IFAC president Ley Sopheap said some crooked businesspeople sold fake goods which endangered public health.
“In the past, I noted that some businesspeople have imported all sorts of products for sale. They know that their products are counterfeit, or spoiled. But they pretended not to know and continued to sell them.
“Some others don’t know that their products are counterfeit or spoiled – they sell them because they don’t know what the products are. So, we all have to participate to eliminate counterfeit products,” he said.
He said collaboration between the association and the authorities will ensure more business owners are educated over the scourge of counterfeit products.
The agreement, he said, will allow both sides to implement measures to identify counterfeit and illegal products, including medicine and cosmetics that were imported without authorisation.
Some imports had violated intellectual property and exclusive importing rights. Hence, the measures will aim to stop and suppress the distribution of counterfeit and illegal products which endanger users.
Counter Counterfeit Committee chairman Meach Sophanna said the committee has cracked down on and destroyed hundreds of tonnes of illegal products such as medicine and cosmetics, as well as illegal and spoiled foodstuff.
The committee had detained many suspects and brought them to justice, he said.
He noted that the signing of the MoU will not only benefit users but also protect honest investors and legal enterprises while ensuring fair competition which contributes to economic development.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Counterfeit Products Committee spokesman Liv Sophannarith said on Monday that the committee would soon oversee the destruction of 110 tonnes of seized products.
He said 10 tonnes of counterfeit products would be burned in late February, including cosmetics and foodstuff and some other products.
In the second phase, the committee plans to burn 100 tonnes in early March after the court issues an order allowing it to do so.
“We plan to burn 110 tonnes of counterfeit and spoiled products. We already obtained consent from the Kampong Thom Provincial Court and Phnom Penh Municipal Court.