Is gasoline still expensive in the village?

(Baonghean) - We are residents of Muong Long 1 village (Muong Long - Ky Son). For several Tet holidays now, the new road has made us much happier because although the road to the market is still far, we don't have to travel that long anymore. The motorbike we bought 10 years ago doesn't need repairs as often as before. This means we don't have to sell our pigs and chickens each year to pay for repairs. With the road, Tet goods from the lowlands can also be transported to the commune center by truck, so we don't need to go to Muong Xen market to have something to eat for Tet.

I saw on TV that the price of gasoline has dropped significantly. Now, even buying less gasoline means I can travel further. My heart is filled with joy. I also want to visit my son-in-law who lives far away and is sick this Tet holiday to ease my longing for him. However, to buy cheap gasoline, I have to go all the way to the state-owned gas station in the district center. The government hasn't built a gas station nearby for the benefit of the people.

We went to buy gasoline at their shop, and the price was still very high. Some places charged 20,000 dong, others 25,000 dong per liter. The prices were inconsistent. Meanwhile, buying it in the district center only cost a little over 15,000 dong per liter. So, in the village, gasoline is still 5 to 10,000 dong more expensive. We need gasoline to drive our vehicles, and buying it at such a high price is heartbreaking.

Looking back, I realize those street vendors were really greedy. They should have lowered their prices too, now that the government has reduced gasoline prices. Instead, they're still selling it at the same price as when it was high. That's unacceptable. Or maybe it's because the local officials, village officials, and market officials haven't said anything, so they're doing this to take money from the villagers.

We hope there will be a gas station near us so that the local people can buy gas at a fair and affordable price. If a gas station isn't built yet, officials should at least talk to the local gas vendors and ask them to lower their prices so that the local people can benefit.

It's not just the high gasoline prices; if the officials don't do anything about it, I'm afraid the prices of Tet (Lunar New Year) goods will also be high. Even with the new road making it easier to transport goods, they're still selling at high prices, and the local people won't benefit much. I hope the officials will pay attention to this!

HV

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(According to Mr. Vu Va Tong - Muong Long 1 village - Muong Long commune - Ky Son district)