Vietnam to discontinue sale of lower octane gasoline

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) are now completing a draft plan to discontinue the sale of lower octane gasoline. The plan will be submitted to the prime minister for his approval, Vu Van Quyen, the head of MoIT’s Domestic Market Department, said. According to Quyen, the elimination of the lower octane gasoline, A83, from the market will help improve vehicle operations, thereby reducing vehicle tailpipe emissions, as well as help reduce rampant fuel smuggling. In 2006, the former Ministry of Commerce (now MoIT) proposed that only higher-octane A92 and A95 gasoline be sold in the marketplace due to quality concerns over the lower octane gasoline. However, at that time, MoST recommended to continue the sale of A83 due to significant domestic demand, especially from the farming sector. Currently, Saigon Petro and PetroVietnam are two oil wholesalers who are allowed to distribute A83 gasoline in Vietnam. (May 4, 2012)