These "businesses" sell their products at VND20,000 (USD0.95) per litre. Their competition are local petrol stations, who sell Ron 92 petrol at VND21,210 and Ron 95 at VND21,720 per litre.
Petrol retail stand on Le Hong Phong Street
Le Hong Phong Street has at least 15 stands which sell the same fuel. Some of them sell anywhere from between 20 to 40 litres per day, attracting a large number of customers.
Quality, however, is another issue. There have been complaints from consumers that this cheaper fuel is not up to standard. There have also been accusations that the measurements have come up short.
When asked about their businesses, most of operators of petrol stands avoided questioning. One of them did comment, "Times are hard at the moment, and I came here to earn a bit of money."
Under the law, a license is required in order to sell petrol products, so as to ensure safety and fuel quality. On the other hand, many see the trade as an opportunity to eke out a living. This has led to the streets of Nha Trang being overrun by cheap and unlicensed petrol stands, which poses a problem for local authorities in monitoring fuel quality.
Nguyen Chi Thanh, from Van Thanh Ward said, “I only buy petrol reliable stations, never this cheap fuel. I have heard of the recent motorbike fire cases. Still a lot of people around here choose to use the cheap stuff.”
To date, local authorities have not yet taken any action to deal with the spreading illegal petrol market.
