Several gas fillling stations in Binh Thuan Province refuse to sell petroleum; thereby, inspection teams set up to check petroleum businesses
Each inspection team will be led by a deputy minister who will focus on inspecting whether business establishments including companies, agents, and petrol retailers comply with regulations, especially establishments that refused to sell the commodity contrary to the regulations in the government’s Decree No. 95/2021 and Decree No. 83/2014 on petroleum business.
Minister Nguyen Hong Dien asked the delegations to go to each gas filling station to clarify a shortage of gasoline or not.
The Minister of Industry and Trade asked inspection teams not to make things difficult for enterprises during the process of inspection, especially those that operate normally and comply with the law.
Inspectors will focus on their duties on establishments that do not work properly, show signs of violations, and abdicate duties and obligations to supply petrol and oil. The monitoring phase will help trace the root of the problem, thereby having appropriate and timely solutions. The General Department of Market Surveillance in coordination with the working groups, will strictly handle violations.
According to the schedule, September 1 is the period to adjust the retail price of gasoline in the domestic market. But, because it coincides with the National Day holiday on September 2, the adjustment may be postponed to September 5. Several key petroleum businesses, traders and distributors said that prices of gasoline in the world have lately increased sharply.
In the next operating period, the domestic retail gasoline price needs to increase to ensure it follows the world market price movements. With the current trend, petrol price is forecast to increase by about VND1,500-VND2,000 a liter.
However, the Vietnam Petroleum Association has just sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance, proposing to regulate gasoline prices right on September 1, the retail price of petrol will not reflect the increasing trend of world prices. This makes it difficult for petroleum traders to secure sources, especially creating a hoarding mentality; thereby, it results in market instability.
However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the inter-ministries of Industry and Trade - Finance have been discussing and considering this proposal. If petrol prices are adjusted on September 1, businesses can benefit but consumers will spend more money on petroleum. If operating on September 5, on the contrary, consumers will benefit, while petrol and oil retail businesses will suffer losses.
