The government hopes the import of fuel will reduce crowds and congestion at petrol stations across Laos.

Finance ministry issues notice to facilitate fuel imports

In line with a pledge made in the National Assembly (NA), the government has directed various authorities at international checkpoints to ensure fuel imports speedily reach petrol stations across the country.
The government made a promise last week at the ongoing NA session that it will ensure there are sufficient fuel supplies nationwide from June 20.
The Minister of Finance, Mr Bounchom Ubonpaseuth, told NA members the government has decided to provide a letter of credit to firms involved in importing fuel so that adequate supplies can be dispensed to petrol stations nationwide in order to meet the demand for fuel.
Following the announcement in the NA, the Ministry of Finance has issued a notification directing the directors general of tax and customs, the heads of the provincial tax and customs offices and the heads of customs offices at international checkpoints to manage and facilitate the import of fuel so that supplies reach petrol stations nationwide on time.
The notification, signed by the minister, became effective from June 17.
The Finance Minister suggested in the notification that the directors general of tax should direct the heads of tax offices in Vientiane capital and in the  provinces to work in collaboration with officials of the industry and commerce sector to facilitate the distribution and allocation of fuel to petrol stations.
The minister also called for continuous monitoring and inspections to prevent traders from increasing the prices above the rates set by the government.
The minster asked the Customs Department to direct officials at different border checkpoints to prevent any possible illegal import of fuel. If any such cases are detected, the legal process should be initiated.
The notification advised concerned officials to strictly implement their tasks.
The Minister of Finance, on behalf of the government, assured the NA last week that sufficient stocks of fuel will be available from June 20 as the government had reached an agreement with the companies responsible for supplying fuel last Thursday.
At the same time, the government also issued a letter of credit for procuring 200 million litres of fuel to the Lao State Fuel Company (LSFC).
Laos has faced a serious shortage of fuel for months after the price of fuel in the global market rose sharply. This also drove up the price of consumer goods and contributed to the weakening of the value of the Lao kip.
The government has said there will be sufficient supplies of fuel at least until August, and timely arrangements will be made to procure fuel for the agricultural season as well.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update June 20, 2022)