Illegal petrol continued flood Hanoi streets despite its Department of Market Management tightening control over petrol dealing.
Illegal petrol stands are a common sight in Hanoi
Near the end of 2011, the Hanoi Department of Market Management, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade tightened its control over petrol trading and limited the number of petrol dealers in order to tackle illegal petrol stands.
However, many illegal petrol stands continue to operate.
These illegal stalls are mostly located along Thai Ha, Huynh Thuc Khang, Kim Ma, Cau Giay, Quan Thanh where there is already a paucity of official petrol stations. But along with the convenience comes a high price. The prices are always VND5,000-10,000(USD0.24-0.5) higher than official retail stations.
The regulated price for mogas 92 is VND21,300 (USD1.02) per litre but the price at unofficial stands is around VND25,000 (USD1.2) per litre, rising to VND30,000 (USD1.44) a litre in more commonly used streets around Hoan Kiem Lake.
However, despite the high prices, the quality of the petrol isn’t guaranteed.
Mogas 95 has yellow colour while mogas 92 is green but the colour of petrol offered at illegal stands is paler than the original.
Adding to concerns over petrol quality are the dozens of motorbikes repair shops operating throughout the city, selling thousands of litres of petrol each day.
It is believed that through working closely with the Market Management teams, it should be relatively simple for the Department of Market Management to eradicate the unofficial petrol sales points.
The green rubber bottle often seen at unofficial petrol stands
