In some places, motorbike drivers have to queue to fill their vehicle up (Photo: SGGP)
In today's official letter 7048 to the Minister of Industry and Trade, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Minister to take heed of the fuel market. The PM wrote in the letter that a number of petroleum filling stations in some southern provinces and cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, An Giang, Binh Phuoc, and Dak Lak have lately closed or temporarily suspended their business affecting people's lives and production and business activities.
Therefore, PM Chinh urged the Minister to control the market.
Previously, a week ago, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh also had a meeting about the management and administration of petroleum for the domestic market.
Meeting participants said that because the world petroleum market developed unpredictably and complicatedly resulting in unstable supply; thus, fuel prices have fluctuated with a large and frequent amplitude. Consequently, several petrol businesses closed or temporarily suspended business in a number of southern provinces and cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, An Giang, Binh Phuoc, and Dak Lak.
According to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, more than 200 stores in cities and provinces closed, which has greatly affected people’s daily life and production.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh thus requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade which acted as a management agency of petroleum products, to keep an eye on the actual situation and market developments as well as have measures including supervision and inspection to promptly prevent violations in businesses of fuel. Inspectors will throw the book on violators who speculated and illegally transported petrol and oil.
At the same time, the Ministry should create conditions for enterprises to maintain production and business activities to ensure petroleum supply and national energy security.
