Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the Energy Commission of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, in new statements referred to the extensive dimensions of fuel smuggling in the country and announced that 20 million liters of fuel are transferred to about one thousand oil tankers daily. This calculation indicates that we are not facing a minor and scattered violation, and the issue of fuel smuggling has become a serious problem in the country's economy.
The Necessity of Reforming Policies to Combat Fuel Smuggling
In a meeting dedicated to examining the optimization and management of fuel consumption, Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the necessity of seriously confronting fuel smugglers. He stated that no government agency should claim any rights to the benefits derived from combating fuel smuggling, and the benefits resulting from reduced consumption and preventing fuel wastage should be allocated to the target community. These statements once again drew attention to the issue of smuggling petroleum products and how to combat it.
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The Role of Supervision and Reforming Distribution Mechanisms
Hasan Moradi, an expert in the oil and energy sector, emphasized the necessity of combating the wastage of fuel subsidies, stating: reforming the distribution mechanism of quotas, preventing the misuse of fuel cards, and supervising consumers should be prioritized. He clarified that fuel smuggling is not limited to violations at fuel stations, and to effectively combat it, land and sea routes for transferring petroleum products must be seriously monitored.
Moradi continued that one of the main challenges in this regard is the misuse of fuel cards. He suggested that the refueling process be connected to banking payment mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of misuse. Currently, individuals may leave their fuel cards at the station due to carelessness or forgetfulness, which can create opportunities for misuse.
The Necessity of Monitoring Transfer Routes and Allocating Quotas
Moradi also pointed to the importance of monitoring how fuel quotas are allocated, stating: quotas allocated to vehicles that do not engage in economic activities commensurate with the received quota can lead to resource wastage. For example, some taxis may be parked in a specific location for long hours without providing transportation services, yet still receive fuel quotas.
This expert also referred to organized smuggling networks, stating that in multiple cases, petroleum products are transferred to border areas using trucks, and then their transfer routes to the coasts are facilitated through warehouses or large storage locations. This issue requires precise supervision and the presence of specialized forces to identify and control the transfer routes of petroleum products.
Moradi emphasized that to combat fuel smuggling, the government must consider the possibility of information forgery and unauthorized use of quotas in designing security mechanisms. Additionally, using appropriate payment tools and control methods can reduce the likelihood of leaving cards behind and misusing them.
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