HCMC gas stations run out of fuel as supply dwindles

A gas station on Dang Van Bi Road in HCMC's Thu Duc City was filled with customers at 4 p.m. Sunday after many others in the vicinity had claimed to run out of stocks.

At a gas station two kilometers away, signs were stuck on pumps saying “Out of gasoline”. Its employees said supply was down 30-40% from normal.

One of them said: “We are almost out of gas but suppliers have not delivered yet. We cannot stop altogether due to fear of being punished by authorities.”

In the neighboring province of Dong Nai, a fuel station on Nguyen Ai Quoc Road only sold VND30,000 ($1.26) worth of gasoline at a time to motrobike owners and VND300,000 worth for cars.

Another pump on the same road had put up a sign that read “out of gasoline, but not diesel.”

A pump in Binh Duong checked by a market surveillance official (R) after it displayed a sign saying “out of gasoline.

Hoang Hung Manh, owner of the station, said demand has been surging by three or four times in recent days but supply is low.

In Dong Nai, 40 gas stations claimed to have no gasoline on October 8, with five saying it did not have diesel either.

The shortage continued through the evening.

At 7 p.m. a station on Nguyen Duy Trinh Road in Thu Duc City was filled with customers.

Nguyen Thi Nga came by bicycle with a bottle to buy gasoline since her motorbike had run out of fuel. But gas stations do not fill bottles and other containers due to fear of fire.

Nguyen Quang Vinh had to walk his bike on Nguyen Duy Trinh Road, and said: “I have been walking for several kilometers.”

At another gas station, staff blocked access to pumps that were out of stock.

At 7.30 p.m. Linh had to wait for nearly 20 minutes to fill her motorbike.

At 7.45 p.m., several gas stations at the My Thanh junction closed earlier than usual.

54 gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City said they were out of fuel since suppliers had not delivered and not even indicated when they would do so.

Most retailers in the city say they are losing VND100-300 million ($4,166-12,500) in the case of small gas stations and VND500 million at big ones due to low commissions, and might have to close for good if things do not improve this week.

The head of a fuel supply company in HCMC, who asked not be identified, said importing is difficult, explaining: “With retail prices declining, the more we import the more we lose.”

Recently 36 retailers in HCMC complained about the “problematic” management by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Finance of fuel retail prices, saying they are so low they lose money on every liter.