Local authorities cracking down on range of irregularities

Local market watchdogs are cracking down on irregularities related to things like the use of banned veterinary drugs, product quality and intellectual property rights (IPR), officials announced today. 

The crackdown primarily targets seven areas, including the production and selling of meat without quarantine; sales of fake wine; elevator maintenance and repair irregularities; pricing irregularities of go-between agencies; advertising irregularities of drug and health products; and trademark infringement in the financial investment sector, according to the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation. 

About 99.4 percent of food products checked by the city's market regulators last year were up to standards, while the qualification rate of agricultural products such as leek, portunid and freshwater fish was relatively low, said Peng Wenhao, deputy director of the administration. 

Elevator safety is also an emphasis of the crackdown. 

The city has nearly 275,000 elevators used by more than 100 million passengers every day, and 319 registered elevator maintenance companies.

"Maintenance and repairs are the key to the safe operation of elevators," said Peng. "Unlicensed maintenance companies, pricing irregularities and quality problems related to elevator parts will be a primary focus."

So far this year, city market regulators have uncovered 4,531 violations in the areas of food, special equipment and product quality related to irregularities involving fake medical advertisements, random charges from go-between agencies and IPR infringement. 

Among them, 49 have been transferred to judicial authorities.