Companies supplying business equipment may face either bankruptcy or closure if a draft circular banning the import of used information technology appliances is approved.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) drew up the new draft to replace Circular 43/2009/TT-BTTTT on 30/12/2009 for purposes of avoiding Viet Nam's market turning into a dumping ground for technological equipment such as microphones/stands, transmission equipment, film and digital cameras, among others.

From a State management point of view, Dr Vu Van Hau, from the National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, said that Viet Nam was capable of assembling and manufacturing most of the banned IT products . With almost all new photocopiers on the market imported, protecting domestic products has been a tough task.

Second-hand copy printers, inkjet printers and laser printers will be added to the list of banned equipment.

Director of the Thanh Cong Service Trading Company Hua Chi Cong said that buying a new photocopier would be expensive and unnecessary while the costs related to old machines being only one-fourth of the amount.

If the ministry prohibits the import of used photocopiers, most shops will be obliged to buy new machines at prices 10 times higher than those of old ones. As a result, services will subsequently be pushed up which might lead to the loss of customers.

VNS