In a district near the Cambodian border, many gas stations are only open at night. ThanhNien
Friday, June 20, 2008
They are closed during the day because they want to keep their gas for smugglers who then resell it in Cambodia at higher prices.
Tran Van Luan, a resident of Kien Luong District of Kien Giang Province on the Vietnamese side of the border, said gas stations didn’t want to sell to locals but those smuggling fuel to Cambodia could buy as much as they wished.
Smugglers use boats to transport fuel to Kampot Province in Cambodia, where the price of one liter of gas is VND3,000 (US$0.18) higher than that in Vietnam.
They said diesel, which is priced VND13,9000 in Vietnam, sold like hot cakes in Niec Leuong District in Cambodia at $1 a liter.
They could pocket a profit of 12 US cent for a liter.
Fuel smuggling is also a problem in other provinces along the border with Cambodia.
At An Binh border gate in An Giang Province, 30-liter cans of gas are loaded onto boats every day, bound for Cambodia’s Kandal Province.
Many boats also pass by the stations along the province’s Vinh Te Canal to buy gas and bring it to Cambodia’s Takeo Province.
Along So Thuong River between Dong Thap Province and Cambodia, dozens of gas stations are visited by boats that transport fuel to Prey Veng Province every day.
Last week, the market management unit of Kien Giang Province caught the owners of two gas stations as they prepared to illegally transport 7,000 liters of gasoline to Cambodia.
The arrests have not seemed to deter the many others involved in fuel smuggling.
Friday, June 20, 2008
They are closed during the day because they want to keep their gas for smugglers who then resell it in Cambodia at higher prices.
Tran Van Luan, a resident of Kien Luong District of Kien Giang Province on the Vietnamese side of the border, said gas stations didn’t want to sell to locals but those smuggling fuel to Cambodia could buy as much as they wished.
Smugglers use boats to transport fuel to Kampot Province in Cambodia, where the price of one liter of gas is VND3,000 (US$0.18) higher than that in Vietnam.
They said diesel, which is priced VND13,9000 in Vietnam, sold like hot cakes in Niec Leuong District in Cambodia at $1 a liter.
They could pocket a profit of 12 US cent for a liter.
Fuel smuggling is also a problem in other provinces along the border with Cambodia.
At An Binh border gate in An Giang Province, 30-liter cans of gas are loaded onto boats every day, bound for Cambodia’s Kandal Province.
Many boats also pass by the stations along the province’s Vinh Te Canal to buy gas and bring it to Cambodia’s Takeo Province.
Along So Thuong River between Dong Thap Province and Cambodia, dozens of gas stations are visited by boats that transport fuel to Prey Veng Province every day.
Last week, the market management unit of Kien Giang Province caught the owners of two gas stations as they prepared to illegally transport 7,000 liters of gasoline to Cambodia.
The arrests have not seemed to deter the many others involved in fuel smuggling.
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