The Lao government and the Lao Fuel and Gas Association are in discussions regarding the shipment of next month’s fuel.
Vientiane Times reports that the government is holding talks with the Lao Fuel and Gas Association over the possibility of importing another shipment of fuel, as it is expected that current stocks will be depleted by the end of this month, a senior member of the Association said.
Lao Minister of Finance, Mr. Bounchom Oubonpaseuth, guaranteed in June that fuel supplies would be sufficient for motorists across Laos for the following three months.
The government opened a line of credit for the Lao National State Fuel Enterprise to purchase some 200 million liters of fuel, which he said would be enough to keep the country going through June, July, and August.
Earlier this week, social media users across Vientiane Capital began reporting closed petrol stations as Laos looks to be headed back into fuel shortages.
Many wondered if the government’s stopgap line of credit, provided to the Lao National State Fuel Enterprise in late June, had already run dry.
Laos may consider importing fuels from Saudi Arabia after recent talks following a visit by the Saudi foreign minister in March.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, held talks via video conference with Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
