The Laos government has called on residents to avoid unnecessary travel amid fuel shortages, citing the need to prioritize agriculture and other essential industries, according to local reports.
Laos, which imports most of its gasoline from neighboring countries, faces fuel shortages due to soaring fuel prices and a weak currency. Many gas stations have been forced to close, with people waiting hours in line to buy fuel.
Vongsone Phimmavongsa, head of the Laos State Fuel Enterprise in Khammouane province, emphasized the need to ensure that farmers have enough fuel supply to avoid food shortages in the country.
Vongsone said that some petrol stations in his province had limited their operations to once or twice a week due to fuel shortages and have been barred from selling gasoline in containers to prevent fuel reselling.
Farmers can only purchase up to 20 liters at a time, whereas consumers are limited to 400,000 kips ($30) of fuel purchases.
He stated that the government will look for alternative petroleum suppliers other than Thailand and Vietnam, and that it will seek to provide up to $60 million to fuel importers as a short-term solution to the fuel crisis.
Phosysoy Kuthilath, director of the Department of Industry and Commerce of Savannakhet province, claimed that the nation’s foreign currency reserves are insufficient to pay for fuel imports.
“An increase in imports of foreign goods results in an increased demand for foreign currency [to pay for imports]. When demand for foreign currency is high, our currency depreciates,” he said.