Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, in a meeting dedicated to reviewing the optimization and management of fuel consumption, emphasized the necessity of returning the benefits gained from reducing fuel consumption to the target community. This meeting was attended by officials from executive agencies and relevant institutions, where the latest actions of the responsible agencies in implementing the assigned duties and the extent of realization of the planned programs for reducing fuel consumption were reviewed.
Actions and Results of the Meeting
In this meeting, a report was presented on the actions taken to organize the fuel distribution system and prevent the misuse of fuel cards. According to this report, these actions have led to a daily reduction of about three to five million liters of fuel consumption. Additionally, the amount of fuel imports in October compared to October of last year has decreased by 58 percent.
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Pezeshkian emphasized in this meeting that all the benefits gained from reducing consumption and preventing fuel waste should return to the target community, and no government agency has the right to appropriate these resources. He added that the main goal of the government in reforming the mechanisms of energy subsidy distribution is not to generate income, but to establish justice in the distribution of national resources.
The Necessity of Consumption Management and Combating Smuggling
Pezeshkian pointed to the necessity of combating fuel smuggling and preventing the diversion of subsidized products from designated uses, emphasizing the need for decisive action against offenders. He called for identifying and cutting off offenders' access to subsidy privileges, stating: "In the first step, those involved in fuel smuggling must be dealt with, and their access to subsidy quotas should be restricted."
He also stressed the need for a continuous and data-driven monitoring system over the supply chain, transfer, and consumption of fuel, saying: "Management, control, and monitoring of fuel consumption must be carried out precisely and continuously to determine how much fuel is consumed in the country and how much is diverted from the official distribution network."
Pezeshkian further clarified that the source of any deviation in the distribution chain must be identified, and by closing smuggling channels, the ground for reducing imbalance in the energy sector should be prepared. He added: "A significant portion of the existing problems can be reduced through proper management and effective action against violations."
Ultimately, Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of organizing fuel consumption in various sectors and called for a review of the allocation of subsidy quotas to legal entities. He stated: "Legal entities must be organized based on specific criteria, and the allocation of subsidized gasoline is not necessary."
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