Over the past 2-3 days, various petrol agents and retail businesses have reported that petrol discounts have dropped to between VND200 and VND300 per liter.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), on January 27, said that the petroleum sale in Ho Chi Minh City was stable. Petrol stations normally operated to serve the travel needs of people, and there was no situation of hoarding and overcharging.
The Market Surveillance Department of Ho Chi Minh City, on November 13, simultaneously inspected gas stations that temporarily halted operation after receiving the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on monitoring, inspection, and handling of violations in petroleum trading activities.
From 10 a.m. on October 31, the scene of people waiting in line to buy gasoline happened again in the inner city and the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City. Some gas stations said they ran out of fuel or sold gasoline at a limit.
From the beginning of October to the present, around 9-10 percent of 550 gas stations in the city are facing petroleum supply disruption due to temporary fuel shortages. The reason is that small petrol stations have not got enough storage tanks and depend on suppliers suspended from importing fuel in time.
The domestic petroleum market has undergone many changes in the last few years. However, some inadequacies still remain in its operations and need to be removed.
It was recorded that on the afternoon of February 21, after gasoline prices increased by nearly VND1,000 per liter, most petrol stations operated normally. However, some were overloaded, and some faced a local shortage of gasoline.
Representatives of retail petrol stations all confirmed that they did not hoard gasoline to wait for the price to rise to sell because, according to regulations, they must import petrol products to sell, even at a loss, and must sell out before they can close. The authorities will impose a hefty fine if they find there is still fuel in the tank.