The Ministry of Finance recently asked local businesses to cut retail fuel prices by VND500, or 2.4 cents, per liter.

Some experts said the unremarkable reduction would appease consumers and make them believe that they are being treated fairly, especially after the ministry had last month disappointed them by refusing to lower fuel prices, despite a sharp fall in world crude oil prices.

How convenient. And, unfortunately for the experts, how untrue.

A token reduction such as this would never be able to soothe people who have suffered price hikes, mainly caused by increased fuel prices, for far too long. It would disappoint them even more, because there is no fairness here.

In February and March the companies raised prices, asking consumers to pay an additional VND5,000 per liter, because they were suffering losses. Now, when it’s time for them to help consumers who have been longing for a price adjustment that would make their life easier, prices go down by one-tenth of the earlier increase.

This is not to mention the dubiousness of the claims about the companies’ making huge losses, claims that have been refuted time and again by the media.

After the finance ministry’s latest move, many people have calculated that with the decrease of VND500 per liter, they will save VND3,000 for every six liters that it takes to fill up their motorbikes’ petrol tanks. And, VND3,000 is equal to the price of half a kilo of rau muong (water morning glory), or parking fees for a motorbike (each time).

The calculation may sound petty, but it’s true and it’s practical, as far as the common man is concerned. It serves to show how meager the decrease is compared to price hikes that followed earlier increases of fuel prices.

Can anyone, in any fairness, argue that this is fair?