Businesses busted for selling regular fuel as premium
IN THE first eight months of this year, the Ministry of Commerce’s Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression directorate-general (CCF) inspected businesses selling fuel at 447 locations nationwide and found 197 of them cheating customers by selling regular octane fuel as super or premium octane petrol.
CCF director-general Phan Oun told The Post on August 30 that among the 447 locations inspected, 197 fuel depots were found to be operating dishonestly and were not in compliance with the consumer protection law.
“As a result, the CCF officials . . . fined 184 locations for the offense while 13 were giving written warnings and asked to sign contracts pledging to stop this activity,” he said.
He added that according to the contents of the consumer protection laws, in cases where they receive a financial penalty but continue to commit the offence, they will have their business registrations or licences suspended, revoked or cancelled.
“In cases where the perpetrator refuses to pay the fine, the investigating official must file a case and send it to the court,” Oun said.
He said that in the first eight months of this year no gas station or fuel depot owners have been sent to the court by the CCF’s investigating officials for refusal to pay their fines.
According to the CCF’s report, from August 25 to 28 the CCF officials inspected fuel depots and gas stations in Phnom Penh, Takeo and Banteay Meanchey provinces, and found a significant number of fuel businesses breaking the law.
The officials determined that they were doing business in violation of the law and imposed penalties on five locations in Takeo province’s Bati district, six locations in Phnom Penh and 10 locations in Banteay Meanchey province.
Oun said the CCF would continue to inspect gas stations and fuel depots throughout the country and implement strict legal measures to prevent fraudulent business related to fuel in order to protect the consumers’ interests.