HCMC – The business hours of 71 gas stations in HCMC have been extended starting February 16 to meet the rising demand for fuel among local residents, said an official of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.
A subsidiary under local fuel distributor Petrolimex Saigon earlier reported to the department the adjustments to the business hours of the 71 gas stations.
Among the stations with longer operating hours, 27 were allowed to stay open for 24 hours, 23 others will offer their services for 17 hours a day, and the rest will be operational for less than 16 hours a day.
With the new time frames, each station will be open for 20 hours on average, up four hours compared to the previous months, Nguyen Thanh Hai, director of the Retail Petroleum Enterprise under the Petrolimex Saigon, told Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Aside from HCMC, the enterprise extended the opening hours of some fuel stations in Binh Duong and Long An, Hai added.
Earlier at a meeting held on February 14 on fuel supply, Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, deputy director of the department, said the department had asked fuel traders to quickly report any cases involving difficulties in receiving or supplying fuel. Those experiencing fuel undersupply but failing to report the issue to the competent agencies would have to bear the responsibility.
According to the department, only two of the 548 gas stations in the city suspended operations, explaining that they had to repair their fire prevention system.
