Pezeshkian, the President, in a meeting with officials from executive agencies, emphasized the necessity of intelligent management of fuel consumption and a decisive confrontation with smuggling and preventing the diversion of subsidy resources. He stated that all benefits derived from reduced consumption and preventing fuel wastage should be returned to the target community, and no government agency has the right to appropriate these resources.
Reviewing the Fuel Consumption Management Process
In this meeting, the latest actions of the responsible agencies regarding the optimization and management of fuel consumption were reviewed. Pezeshkian, while receiving performance reports from the agencies, emphasized the necessity of enhancing inter-agency coordination and strengthening continuous oversight. He also referred to identifying bottlenecks in resource wastage and closely monitoring assigned responsibilities.
Read more: Eurodry ordered the third Kumarmax tanker worth $37 million from Hengli
The reports presented in this meeting indicated that the actions taken to organize the fuel distribution system would lead to a daily reduction of about 3 to 5 million liters in fuel consumption. Additionally, the amount of fuel imports in October compared to October of last year has decreased by 58%.
Equity in Subsidy Distribution
Pezeshkian further emphasized that the main goal of the government in reforming the mechanisms of energy subsidy distribution is not to generate revenue. He stated that any benefits and resources obtained from managing consumption and reducing wastage should be spent on strengthening the livelihoods of low-income groups and improving the economic situation of underprivileged households.
The President, referring to the necessity of precisely defining the dimensions of reform policies, noted that the explanation of this approach should not solely focus on the issue of price realism, and the goal should be to establish equity in the distribution of national resources.
Combating Fuel Smuggling
Pezeshkian also emphasized the importance of decisively combating fuel smuggling and preventing the diversion of subsidized products from their designated uses. He called for identifying and cutting off the access of violators to subsidy privileges within the framework of legal regulations and said: "Those involved in fuel smuggling must be dealt with."
He also emphasized that the source of any deviation in the distribution chain must be identified and that by closing smuggling channels, the grounds for reducing imbalance in the energy sector should be provided. Pezeshkian stated: "A significant portion of the existing problems can be reduced through proper management and transparency of information."
In conclusion, the President emphasized the necessity of organizing fuel consumption in various sectors, especially public transportation, and called for the creation of an accurate database of the fleet's status and its fuel consumption.
Read more: 45% increase in the seizure of smuggled goods by General Hossein Rahimi · Pezeshkian emphasized the necessity of discipline in the distribution of energy carriers
