In the first months of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in domestic petroleum consumption due to limited travel and operation suspension of factories and enterprises. The situation is forecast to be continuing in the time to come.
Data released by the General Statistics Office showed that Vietnam imported 1.85 million tones of petrol and oil in the first three months of 2020, accounting for 61.67 percent of the total domestic demand at present.
Meanwhile, Dung Quat and Nghi Son refineries currently meet between 70-80 percent of the demand.
President of the VEA Tran Viet Ngai said that with the over-90-percent petroleum stockpile is sufficient for the domestic demand in the next three months.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) recently has asked relevant ministries to halt petrol and oil imports as domestic sales have dropped.
PetroVietnam’s proposal was raised as sales of petrol and oil products in the domestic market slumped an estimated 30 percent in the first quarter of this year. PetroVietnam also forecast bigger reductions in the coming months.
In the latest review, the Ministries of Industry and Trade, and Finance have decided to reduce the retail price of petrol by over VND4,100/litre
Accordingly, price of E5RON92 is not higher than VND11,956 (US$0.51) per litre at the highest, while that of RON95-III was adjusted down to VND12,560 per litre at the highest.
The prices of diesel 0.05S and kerosene were capped at VND11,259 and VND9,141 per litre, respectively.
