Taiwan investigates gasoline hoarding

The Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taiwan has asked government agencies to inspect fuel storage facilities at 42 gas stations that have purchased 10 kiloliters more petroleum products per day recently than their daily average in the last month, as part of efforts to crack down on illegal gasoline hoarding. In a bid to forestall any illegal profiteering practices, Minister of Economic Affairs Yiin Chii-ming inspected two gas stations in Taipei County. During the inspection, he said that the ministry had asked every city and county government, as well as the Fair Trade Commission, to complete inspections of fuel storage conditions at the 42 gas stations. Yiin said that the ministry would not allow any gasoline stations to hoard petroleum products. CPC statistics indicated that in addition to the 42 stations, about 600 filling stations saw an increase of more than 20% in the amount of petroleum products they purchased every day from the state company compared with last month. (May 28, 2008)