Market management authorities have caught many petrol stations in the Mekong Delta provinces limiting their operations following rumours of petrol price hike in the coming months.
Some petrol stations were found to sell low-grade petrol.
Nguyen Van Sanh, deputy head of Can Tho City Market Management Sub-Department said that the authorities had caught a petrol agency of PetroMekong selling less quantity of petrol. The Bay Tham Private Company was caught amongst three others selling large amounts of poor quality petrol.
The Can Tho City Peoples’ Committee has decided to fine each of the companies VND30million.
As stations are compelled to remain open, many have reduced their staff, switched off their lighting systems and hung signboards reading “temporarily closed”, so as to reduce the volume of petrol sold.
On the same day, the Department of Industry and Trade in Hau Giang Province said that it had discovered many petrol stations in Long My, Chau Thanh and Phung Hiep districts deliberately limiting the quantity of petrol sold.
Some stations even closed their doors all together.
Local authorities have asked petrol stations to resume their normal operations. Three stations in Long My district were issued warnings of penalties for speculating on patrol prices.
Since April 28, market management forces have checked 100 petrol stations in Soc Trang Province and found one case that showed signs of speculation on petrol prices.
In Ca Mau Province, some petrol stations just sold VND20, 000-30,000 per motorbike.
The market management board in Kien Giang Province said that it had checked 180 petrol stations and found many violators, issuing warnings to all.
Petrol stations in Tan Hiep District and one in Kien Luong District have closed doors for three days.
The Trung Tri Private Company in Giang Thanh District sold A92 petrol at VND24,000 per litre, higher than the fixed price of VND21,722 per litre.
