The Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Counterfeit Products Committee (ACPC) presented on January 3 the results of their operations to impound counterfeit medical, poor-quality, substandard and illegal products to fight Covid-19 in 2021.

ACPC reported that it had cracked down on 27 cases of bogus medical devices and equipment and impounded more than 72 tonnes of bad products, which were all put to the torch thereafter.

“Those products included counterfeit medical equipment such as alcohol and masks, medical products, counterfeit gloves, Covid-19 testing equipment, Covid medicines and more,” ACPC stated in its report.

Meanwhile, the CCF has transferred the duties of 54 civil servants in the capital and provinces to increase work efficiency in their efforts at protecting consumers and promoting market competition.

CCF director-general Phan Oun told The Post on January 3 that the transfers were made in order to give his officials more experience working in other branches than their original assignment in order to develop future leaders of the organisation with a big picture view of its work.

He added that some officials had been appointed to higher offices already based on their merits and qualifications as well as to encourage the CCF team and help recruit top candidates entering government service.

“These changes aimed to increase work efficiency in three areas: Food safety, consumer protection and competition. We are ready to implement our programme,” he added.

Phan Oun said that the CCF consisted of 632 officials working in branches in the capital and provinces and that in the year 2021 they confiscated nearly 50 tonnes of illegal goods including all kinds of chemicals and a great deal of methanol being sold as alcohol in hand sanitisers and gels along with about 20,000 litres of unbranded chemical sprays for use on plants.