HCMC tightens control over sale of fake fuels
HCMC tightens control over sale of fake fuels
The People’s Committee of HCMC has directed municipal departments and agencies to tighten control over the sale, import, and production of fuels, aiming to prevent and fight smuggling and trade fraud involving fuels, especially fake ones.
The HCMC Department of Industry and Trade was tasked with tightening regulations on the licensing of solvent-blending and fuel trading firms, and at the same time, checking operations of licensed businesses.
The HCMC Taxation Department must inspect practices of fuel trading firms in fulfilling their tax declarations and obligations. Meanwhile, the city’s Customs Department will have to tightly control customs declarations by such businesses, and promptly prevent possible fuel-trading violations committed by air and sea, as well as at seaports and bonded warehouses.
Further, the HCMC Department of Science and Technology must conduct intensive checks on, or take fuel samples for testing from gas stations in the city, and report any cases of trading suspect fuels to law enforcement agencies for legal action.
Border guards from the city have to carry out more regular patrols and tackle violators who smuggle, stock, transport, manufacture and blend fake fuels at seaports, entrances to rivers and on vessels.
Also, the city police have to work out measures to apprehend fake fuel trading rings, as well as bring to justice the leaders of such rings and facilities for processing and blending fake fuel.
The city has also clarified the role of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications in the fight against fake fuel trading activities. It will have to publicize a list of outlets trading fake or substandard fuels via mass media, and raise public awareness among fuel consumers.
