Written by: Basant El-Faramawy
Fuel sales operations in Vietnam are facing challenges regarding the availability of discounted types of gasoline at a number of major stations, despite announcements by Petrolimex and PVOil regarding initiatives to reduce retail prices. This gap between official announcements and field reality has raised questions among consumers about the ease of access to petroleum products at the new prices in major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City.
Obstacles in the Availability of Discounted Fuel
At a time when Petrolimex proactively decided to lower the prices of some of its products by 300 Vietnamese dong per liter, it was observed at several of the company's gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City that lower-priced gasoline options, such as E5RON92 and E10RON95-III, were completely absent. Field observations indicated that many of these stations only sell E10RON95 level five gasoline, which is the highest-priced product on the company's list, narrowing consumer choices and forcing them to buy the more expensive type without available alternatives at competitive prices.
The Problem of Licensed Stations at PVOil
On the other hand, PVOil faced similar criticism regarding its program aimed at reducing prices by 350 dong per liter. The company explained that the announced discounts apply exclusively to stations directly owned and operated by the company, while franchise-operated stations remain non-binding to apply these reductions. This led to a noticeable discrepancy in selling prices from one station to another, leaving consumers confused by the conflict between announced prices and actual prices at the pumps.
Impact on the Consumer
This discrepancy comes at a time when consumers are suffering from the continuous rise in the cost of living and the impact of fuel prices on basic commodity prices. Although citizens welcome any price drop, the actual impact on their budgets seems limited given the stability of service and food prices at high levels, despite fluctuations in gasoline prices. Observers confirm that pricing policy and product availability remain a major focus of attention for consumers who demand the need to enhance transparency and expand reasonable gasoline options to meet diverse market needs.
