The identification scheme for free fuel station cards has been implemented today to control and reduce domestic gasoline smuggling. According to Mohammad Sadegh Azimi Far, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, this scheme will soon be implemented nationwide, aiming to create transparency in the refueling process and prevent potential abuses of free station cards.
Details of the Identification Scheme for Fuel Cards
In this scheme, free fuel station cards will be identified with specific identifiers, and instead of giving the authority to use the cards to station owners, this authority will be granted to the consumers themselves. This process will include verifying individuals through bank cards and national ID numbers. Thus, anyone visiting the station must first be identified and then receive fuel based on their specific consumption policies.
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Azimi Far also announced that this scheme is currently being tested at one or two stations in Tehran and will soon be extended to other stations across the country. The ultimate goal of this scheme is to create accurate data on gasoline consumption in each household and reduce fuel smuggling from the official cycle.
Reducing Fuel Smuggling and Its Consequences
Estimates indicate that the volume of domestic gasoline smuggling, especially in some regions of the country, reaches about 4 to 5 million liters per day. Domestic smuggling means removing gasoline from the official cycle and selling it at high prices in the free market. In some cases, smuggled gasoline is transferred to industries and used instead of industrial solvents like thinner, which is more cost-effective due to the price difference between gasoline and these products.
With the implementation of this scheme, it is expected that gasoline consumption outside the network will be reduced by half, which means a reduction of 2.5 million liters of gasoline consumption per day. This could have a significant positive impact on the current imbalance and rising fuel prices.
The identification and verification process in this scheme is designed so that consumers can use the free station cards with just a one-time password, and the 1111 border will no longer be valid. Additionally, vehicle ownership is linked to the national ID of all household members, meaning that households without a vehicle cannot use free fuel cards.
Ultimately, it seems that this scheme is not only aimed at reducing gasoline smuggling but also at collecting data related to gasoline consumption in each household to prevent potential abuses and to implement better management of fuel consumption in the country.
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