On September 11, at the Government Headquarters, Politburo Member, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a working session with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant ministries and agencies on the restructuring and reorganization of the gasoline and oil distribution system.
According to the Government Authority of Information and Communications, concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung clearly stated that this amendment (amending regulations in Decree No. 83/2014/ND-CP on gasoline and oil business) must be substantive, not just changing the name and organizational form.
It is necessary to minimize focal points and intermediaries, control and regulate prices, reduce costs, clearly define the rights, obligations and responsibilities of each subject, ensure harmony of interests of the State, businesses and consumers; thoroughly overcome inadequacies, and prevent group interests, fraud, and profiteering.
The general spirit and ultimate goal is to build a system with fewer intermediaries, more transparent, more competitive, and ensure better supply in all situations.
Regarding the organization of the gasoline and oil distribution system, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reviews and redesigns the distribution system in the direction of substantially reducing intermediate levels; clearly defining the function between the source generation stage and the downstream stage; overcoming the situation of round-trip trading between traders that increases costs and makes it difficult to determine responsibility when supply shortages occur.
Clearly stipulate the responsibilities of each entity in ensuring the supply of goods to the retail system, especially in cases of market fluctuations, to prevent breakdowns and local shortages.
Regarding key petroleum traders, the Prime Minister directed to review the conditions for key traders in the direction of linking with actual resource creation capacity, financial capacity, facilities, reserves and responsibilities for ensuring supply.
Based on careful impact assessment, research appropriate criteria to restructure the number of focal traders, reorganize distribution and retail traders, ensure that focal traders are truly capable and fully fulfill their responsibilities for supply, as well as ensure the responsibility of distribution and retail traders.
Review the buying and selling mechanism between traders, standards, processes, conditions, procedures and mechanisms, applying technology for control and inspection.
Regarding the mechanism for managing gasoline and oil prices, the Prime Minister agreed to continue to innovate the price management mechanism according to the principle of a market with state management and regulation, especially in cases of fluctuations.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade presides over and coordinates with the Ministry of Finance to carefully review regulations on price formulas, business costs, profits, declaration and price announcement; ensuring both creating conditions for businesses to reduce costs, compete to reduce prices, and preventing the abuse of market position to form unreasonable prices.
Regarding ensuring supply, reserves and the Gasoline and Oil Price Stabilization Fund, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and ministries and sectors to complete the mechanism to ensure supply, reserves for circulation and market stabilization tools in accordance with the law on prices, ensuring that the State has enough tools to intervene when the market has abnormal fluctuations.
The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to urgently complete the draft Decree, continue to work with businesses and associations, collect opinions from people, businesses, experts... with a spirit of receptiveness, and submit the Decree for early promulgation, no later than the beginning of October 2026.
