Petrol Stations Halt Legit Sales to Sell on Black Market

Despite a recent crackdown on petrol speculation, many petrol stations in Nam Dinh Province still halt daytime operations to trade on the black market at night.

On June 16, Mr. Vu Huy Hoang, Minister of Industry and Trade, announced that any petrol station that improperly refuses to provide service while it still has adequate petrol in its storage tanks will face a suspension of its business license.

On Tuesday morning, inspectors found that many privately-owned petrol stations in Nam Dinh Province were not operating, using pretexts such a power failure or a pump breakdown. Local residents said that 14 gas stations located in a 30-km section of street running from Nam Dinh City to Lac Quan Bridge in Xuan Truong District had been closed since the beginning of last week.

On Wednesday, a Sai Gon Giai Phong reporter talked with Mr. Do Duc Duong, deputy director of Department of Industry and Trade and director of the Market Management Department of Nam Dinh Province about what disciplinary measures will be imposed on petrol stations that violate the minister’s directive.

Eleven teams of investigators from the provincial Market Management Department to investigate claims that stations had illegally ceased operation, Mr. Duong asserted that Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Duong added that the department is carrying out further investigations. Any petrol station that is charged with illegally halting operation will face strict disciplinary measures, he added. (SGGP)