Total petrol import and production during the first four months of the year reached 7,88 million tonnes, or 9,93 million cubic metres with import accounting for 43.73 per cent.
The Government proposed the operation of the petrol price stabilisation fund should be maintained because it remained an effective tool to regulate petrol prices.
Viet Nam is considering amending the Law on Price, which mentions several commodities under the Government’s price stabilisation scheme including petrol and oil.
Retail petroleum businesses have asked to stop contributing to the petrol price stabilisation fund, increasing the commission to reduce losses and permanently withdrawing the license of unprofitable retailers.
Petrol price is expected to go down substantially from April after the National Assembly on March 23 passed the resolution on reduction of environmental protection tax rates on petroleum products.
Viet Nam will need to cut taxes and fees, in addition to using the petroleum price stabilisation fund petrol prices keep rising, said a leader from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Ministry of Industry and Trade has denied rumours that it proposed the establishment of a State stabilisation fund to cope with the sudden increase in steel prices that has impacted many businesses.
Authorities want to maintain the petrol price stabilisation fund as a tool to keep retail prices stable and give them the ability to intervene in the market when necessary.
The balance of the petrol price stabilisation fund at Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) was VND1.72 trillion (US$73.8 million) as of Friday, the group said.
The retail price of petrol RON95 decreased VND400 per litre from 3pm on Wednesday, according to an announcement by the ministries of industry and trade and finance.
The balance of the petrol price stabilisation fund surged to more than VND5.1 trillion (US$ 224 million) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2017, the Ministry of Finance has reported.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the ministries of industry and trade - and finance, to report on price changes of petrol products this month.