Petrol retailers in Vietnam are now allowed to source petrol from up to three distributors as opposed to one previously, Doanh Nhan Vietnam is reporting. The changes are outlined in Decree 80/2023/ND-CP.
Why it matters: Petrol shortages were common last year as oil prices spiked and prices set by the government failed to cover costs for petrol retailers. What looks to be the overarching issue is the pricing mechanism which changes every seven days or so which often means it is out of sync with world oil prices which change every day. That said, this latest development will at least give retailers options, add some competition, and may somewhat alleviate the risk of fuel shortages.