Masoud Pezeshkian, in a meeting held to examine the optimization and management of fuel consumption, emphasized the necessity of regulating the distribution of energy carriers and directing the benefits from reduced consumption towards low-income groups. This meeting was attended by officials from executive agencies and relevant institutions, and the latest actions taken by responsible agencies regarding the management and oversight of energy carrier distribution were discussed.
Reducing Fuel Consumption and Enhancing Inter-Agency Coordination
In this session, the President, while receiving performance reports from the agencies, emphasized the need to enhance inter-agency coordination and strengthen continuous oversight. According to the reports presented, the actions taken to organize the fuel distribution system and prevent the misuse of fuel cards have led to a daily reduction of 3 to 5 million liters in fuel consumption. Additionally, the amount of fuel imports in October has decreased by 58% compared to October of last year.
Equity in Subsidy Distribution
Pezeshkian further emphasized that the main goal of the government in reforming the mechanisms for energy subsidy distribution is not to generate revenue, but to establish equity in the distribution of national resources. He also pointed out the necessity of clearly explaining the dimensions of reform policies to the public and noted that the media should elaborate on this approach so that the issue of equity in resource distribution is correctly understood.
Pezeshkian, criticizing the method of gas subsidy allocation, called for the design of a fair mechanism for households to benefit from government support. He stressed that the subsidy allocation system should be reformed in such a way that public support is proportional to need and respects social justice considerations.
Combating Fuel Smuggling
In this meeting, combating fuel smuggling and preventing the diversion of subsidized products from designated uses were also discussed. Pezeshkian emphasized that the identification and cutting off of offenders' access to subsidy benefits should be carried out within the framework of legal regulations. He also pointed to the necessity of establishing a continuous, data-driven oversight system over the supply chain, transfer, and consumption of fuel.
Pezeshkian stated that to manage and oversee fuel consumption accurately, it must be determined how much fuel is consumed in the country and how much is diverted from the official distribution network. He also emphasized that all benefits from reduced consumption and preventing fuel waste should be allocated to the target community, and no government agency should claim any rights over these resources.
Organizing Fuel Consumption of Public Transport Fleet
The President further considered organizing the fuel consumption of the public transport fleet as another essential aspect of reforming consumption patterns and emphasized the need to create an accurate database of the fleet's status and its fuel consumption. Pezeshkian called for the collection of fleet information and recording consumption levels to align allocated quotas with actual performance.
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