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The ministry-level agency will investigate these companies for 60 days starting Thursday. The scope of the investigation is from January 2017 to June this year.
Among the 15 gasoline suppliers are top companies like Petrolimex and PVOil.
Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical, the operator of Dung Quat Oil Refinery, and Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical, operator of Nghi Son Oil Refinery, will also be inspected. These facilities account for around 70% of domestic demand.
The investigation was announced after hundreds of gasoline stations, mostly in the south, ran out of fuel in recent weeks due to a disruption in supply and a decline in retailer commission, which resulted in loss.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has instructed the two refineries to crank up gasoline production to maximum capacity as the south continues to report shortages.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Thursday mentioned the lack of efficient cooperation between government agencies as the main reason for the recent shortages, with authorities studying the possibility of reducing the interval between gasoline price adjustments to ensure more efficient market intervention.
In Vietnam there are 36 suppliers who either import gasoline from other countries or source from the two domestic refineries, 500 distributors, and 17,000 gas stations.
Long queues form at Hanoi gas stations as fuel shortage fears persist
