Petrolimex works to keep nation moving

Petroleum trading needs to be based on market rules to ensure healthy performance, Petrolimex deputy general director Vuong Thai Dung tells VIR.

What do you think of filling stations closing recently?

First, I need to confirm that these stations do not belong to Petrolimex.

In respect to filling stations under Petrolimex, we ensure sufficient petroleum sales volume and working hours. We have tried our utmost to keep a stable petroleum supply as stated in signed contracts with our distributors.

What was Petrolimex’s actual sales in the past month?

From early 2011 until mid-February the petroleum volumes we imported hit 22 per cent more than the corresponding period in 2010 and 20 per cent more than the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s projected level.

Petroleum Petrolimex sold in the domestic market in January 2011 hiked 18 per cent compared to December 2010 and the figure was 24 per cent in southern market. In the first half of February, our actual sales volume was 22 per cent more than the same period last year.

Petrolimex had to triple sales volumes in some locations such as Don Duong district in Central Highlands’ Lam Dong province. Anyhow, Petrolimex’s sale volume could only meet up to 60 per cent of local market demands.

Some filling stations said they could not source sufficient petroleum products from Petrolimex?

We strictly abide by the supply contracts signed with agents in both petroleum supply volume and types. However, in fact some filling stations accepted to sell products of several petroleum firms instead of one only as regulated in the governmental Decree 84/2009/ND-CP dated October 2009 and this has created a mess.

To address the situation, management agencies need to intensify inspection and apply severe disciplinary measures towards violators. In doing so, it will not be hard to define which filling stations have to cease operating due to petroleum shortages and which enterprises fail to supply sufficient products to their filling stations.

Has Petrolimex proposed a petroleum price hike to reduce current losses?

Currently, Petrolimex sells petrol 92 at VND2,821/litre lower than the base price, DO 0.05S oil at VND3,708/litre lower, kerosene at VND3,639/litre lower and mazut at VND2,682/litre lower than the base price.

At this point of time, whether petroleum prices are hiked depend on the Vietnamese government’s decisions based on actual conditions to ensure macroeconomic balance.

Our prime attention and also our responsibility are to ensure sufficient and stable supply to Petrolimex’s whole system and stability in domestic petroleum market.

However, in the long haul we would like to propose the Vietnamese government to regulate petroleum trading based on market rules to ensure healthy performances of all involved parties. – VIR

Tags: Petrolimex, Vietnam petrol, Vietnam Petrol prices