Regulations requiring safety stamps for children's toys are about to be enforced, despite the fact about 85 percent of toys are smuggled from China and most sellers don't know where to get the stamps.
Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Ministry's standards and quality department Ngo Quy Viet said the safety stamps were required to minimise the risks to children.
The new regulations were applied five months ago with a September 15 deadline, he said.
Viet said examination of all types of toys would be carried out between August 23 and September 20 with a focus on technical requirements of the regulations and limits for toxic organic chemical compounds.
Compounds like formal dehyde in plastic toys could cause respiratory and skin disease.
Violent toys would be banned, he said.
Nevertheless, many toy retailers in Hanoi's Luong Van Can, Dong Xuan, Hang Ma streets, where most of toys are sold, said they had no idea where or how to get the stamps.
"I usually purchase toys from a trader who says she knows nothing about quality stamps," said Hang Ma street toy seller Nguyen Thi Oanh.
Most of her toys were imported from China , Oanh said.
Customer Nguyen Hoang Ha said she never asked retailers about quality stamps.
"I haven't seen any stamps and I bet none of the sellers know about them.
"I have no choice but to choose toys for my kids with my experience and feeling," Ha said.
Department co-deputy director Tran Van Vinh conceded that 85 percent of toys sold in the market were smuggled and it could take years to change the habits of sellers and consumers.
However, Vinh said, the department had urged toy producers to have their products tested and attach stamps, and a programme to change consumers' buying habits would be carried out in due course./.
