Who says no more oil here... Lao govt debunks rumours of fuel shortage in country, affirms fuel distribution still strong

VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): The Lao Fuel and Gas Association (LFGA) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) have assured residents that the country’s fuel distribution situation is under control, in response to a statement from PTT Lao Limited that Laos may experience a fuel shortage due to difficulties in exchanging foreign currency for fuel purchases.

In a statement released by LFGA, the association urged residents not to panic, assuring that Laos will not succumb to a state of fuel shortage as it did in mid-2022.

The association said in the notice, “We have reached out to all fuel import companies in Laos and learned that fuel importation by 14 companies is still proceeding as usual and is enough to meet the country’s demand.”

LFGA added that the government will carry on providing fuel companies with the required foreign currency to ensure that they can continue to import fuel into the country.

Another official notice from MOIC, published on the same day, also reiterated the LFGA statement, saying that the fuel distribution in the country is under control and well-suited to meet market demands.

The notice states “Laos imports at least 8,00,000 liters of petrol and 2.2 million liters of diesel daily. Furthermore, over 80 percent of gas stations in the country are currently open for service.”

The Ministry emphasized that policies and measures are in place to stabilize fuel distribution across the country while assuring citizens have faith in the government and remain cautious when consuming news on social media to avoid being misinformed. - Laotian Times