Addition of illegal compounds to fuels can cause damaging and unpleasant issues to environment and less durability to the vehicles’ engine, experts say. (Photo: laodong.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Petrol smuggling andtrade fraud continues to be a big problem in Vietnam, with several cases offake and poor quality gasoline discovered by Government agencies.
According to National Steering Committee 389, thecentral authority on fighting smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeitgoods, inspectors have found gasoline samples taken from petrol companies andstations are diluted and low quality A92 gasoline.
The substandard fuel was found in Hanoi, HCM City,Hoa Binh, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Nghe An, Lam Dong and Can Tho provinces.
Some samples showed A92 petrol content was below70 percent, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported.
The source of the solvents was mostly found in CanTho and HCM City.
The latest case was detected on January 9 in CanTho city. Police caught a staff member of Van Nguyen 2 Petrol Company pumping6,000 litres of detergent solvent from a tanker into another, which contained3,000 litres of the solvent mixed with 3,000 litres of petrol.
The solvent was identified as Solmix industrialdetergent.
Earlier last October, inspectors from theNghe An Department of Sciences and Technology detected 12 gas stationsviolating regulations on gasoline quality. A further investigation between theinspectors and police revealed that two companies – Thanh Ngu Ltd Company inDien Chau district and Kien Luc Company in Quynh Luu District – made fake A92gasoline.
The company owners admitted to the police thatthey bought hundreds of thousands of litres of solvents to be mixed with A92gasoline, and then sold more than 2 million litres of fake gasoline in Nghe Anprovince.
Kien Luc Company confessed it had boughtsolvents from Can Tho and then resold it to some gas stations, while mixing theremainder with RON 92 gasoline to be sold to customers.
Gasoline samples taken from these stations werediluted, low quality petrol with octane numbers lower than regulated.
An octane rating or octanenumber is a standard measure of the performance of a fuel. The higher thenumber, the more compression the fuel can withstand before igniting.Using lower octane gasoline may lead to engine problems.
Deputy Director of Market Management Departmentunder the Ministry of Industry and Trade Tran Hung told the newspaper thatNational Steering Committee 389 and market management forces could not handlethe problem alone.
Quality management of petroleum was theresponsibility of the General Department of Quality Measurement and theMinistry of Science and Technology, he said.
According to experts, adding illegal compounds tofuels can cause environmental risks due to the emission of vapours and toxicgases, damage engines and create unfair competition in fuel prices, causinglosses to the State in tax revenue.
It is difficult to stop firms diluting petrol. Ifthe solvent quantity is not controlled, it will greatly affect the quality ofpetrol.
The most commonly used solvents include ethanol,acetone and methanol.
Many petrol companies and stations have usedexcessive amounts of solvents to make profits.
Fuel fraud lines the pockets of criminals and canhave a devastating effect on legitimate fuel traders, according to the experts.
To prevent and control petroleum fraud, the StandingOffice of National Steering Committee 389 assigned the Ministry of Finance toinstruct the General Department of Taxation to help localities accuratelyassess the quality of petrol in petrol stations.
Tax revenue collected from petroleum products businessin localities has sharply increased compared to the past, said Dam Thanh The,Director of the Standing Office.
In addition, competent forces have strengthenedthe inspection of individuals and organisations trading low qualitypetroleum.-VNA
According to National Steering Committee 389, thecentral authority on fighting smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeitgoods, inspectors have found gasoline samples taken from petrol companies andstations are diluted and low quality A92 gasoline.
The substandard fuel was found in Hanoi, HCM City,Hoa Binh, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Nghe An, Lam Dong and Can Tho provinces.
Some samples showed A92 petrol content was below70 percent, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported.
The source of the solvents was mostly found in CanTho and HCM City.
The latest case was detected on January 9 in CanTho city. Police caught a staff member of Van Nguyen 2 Petrol Company pumping6,000 litres of detergent solvent from a tanker into another, which contained3,000 litres of the solvent mixed with 3,000 litres of petrol.
The solvent was identified as Solmix industrialdetergent.
Earlier last October, inspectors from theNghe An Department of Sciences and Technology detected 12 gas stationsviolating regulations on gasoline quality. A further investigation between theinspectors and police revealed that two companies – Thanh Ngu Ltd Company inDien Chau district and Kien Luc Company in Quynh Luu District – made fake A92gasoline.
The company owners admitted to the police thatthey bought hundreds of thousands of litres of solvents to be mixed with A92gasoline, and then sold more than 2 million litres of fake gasoline in Nghe Anprovince.
Kien Luc Company confessed it had boughtsolvents from Can Tho and then resold it to some gas stations, while mixing theremainder with RON 92 gasoline to be sold to customers.
Gasoline samples taken from these stations werediluted, low quality petrol with octane numbers lower than regulated.
An octane rating or octanenumber is a standard measure of the performance of a fuel. The higher thenumber, the more compression the fuel can withstand before igniting.Using lower octane gasoline may lead to engine problems.
Deputy Director of Market Management Departmentunder the Ministry of Industry and Trade Tran Hung told the newspaper thatNational Steering Committee 389 and market management forces could not handlethe problem alone.
Quality management of petroleum was theresponsibility of the General Department of Quality Measurement and theMinistry of Science and Technology, he said.
According to experts, adding illegal compounds tofuels can cause environmental risks due to the emission of vapours and toxicgases, damage engines and create unfair competition in fuel prices, causinglosses to the State in tax revenue.
It is difficult to stop firms diluting petrol. Ifthe solvent quantity is not controlled, it will greatly affect the quality ofpetrol.
The most commonly used solvents include ethanol,acetone and methanol.
Many petrol companies and stations have usedexcessive amounts of solvents to make profits.
Fuel fraud lines the pockets of criminals and canhave a devastating effect on legitimate fuel traders, according to the experts.
To prevent and control petroleum fraud, the StandingOffice of National Steering Committee 389 assigned the Ministry of Finance toinstruct the General Department of Taxation to help localities accuratelyassess the quality of petrol in petrol stations.
Tax revenue collected from petroleum products businessin localities has sharply increased compared to the past, said Dam Thanh The,Director of the Standing Office.
In addition, competent forces have strengthenedthe inspection of individuals and organisations trading low qualitypetroleum.-VNA
VNA
