The results of petroleum sample test will be announced before the Tet holiday, said an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
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| Inspection results to be released before Tet |
Vu Van Hong, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department under the ministry’s Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, confirmed the information at a conference in Hanoi on January 13.
Some initial conclusions of the inspection have been released, but the official results will be made public in one to two weeks.
Samples were taken from establishments that are suspected of selling substandard fuel, which may be the cause of a number of recent vehicle fires.
The ministry has also urged centrally-governed cities and provinces to quality control over local petroleum traders and retailers, and deal seriously with any violations. The results will be highly publicised in order to raise consumer awareness.
Many auto and motorbike fires have occurred across the nation in recent months, particularly in Hanoi. Although the reasons have not yet been proven, substandard fuel has been the subject of suspicion.
As a result, the Prime Minister has ordered the Ministry of Science and Technology to conduct the inspection.
Four Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) staff members admitted to stealing petrol and tampering with the contents of tankers. These were drivers and assistants working at Petrolimex subsidiaries, the Petroleum Mechanical Joint Stock Company and Petrolimex Saigon Transportation and Service Joint Stock Company.
The employees admitted to stealing around 10-20 litres of petroleum from fuel tankers transporting fuel to petrol stations in Ho Chi Minh City.