Mohammad Jafar Ghaemian, the Vice President, reacting to the claim of increasing the price of gasoline to 80,000 tomans, emphasized that under current conditions, fuel price stabilization is not on the agenda at all. He further examined the status of fuel smuggling and possible solutions for managing this issue.
Emphasis on Government Support Policies
Ghaemian referred to the support policies of the fourteenth government and said: "We do not deny the price increases at all, and the responsible agencies are also dealing with price gouging. We are trying to get through this difficult period with the cooperation of the people."
Read more: Ministry of Energy's Measures for Sustainable Electricity Supply in Winter
He added: "If we want to stabilize fuel prices, we must also stabilize the salaries and wages of employees and retirees. We cannot offer fuel at international or regional rates without stabilizing people's salaries and wages."
Fuel Smuggling and Price Discrepancy
The Vice President, during a visit to the headquarters for combating smuggling of goods and currency, referred to the daily smuggling of 30 million liters of gasoline and diesel and noted that the significant price discrepancy between diesel and gasoline in Iran and neighboring countries is a major factor in fuel smuggling. He said: "It is not intended to raise the price of gasoline and diesel right now, but as the Vice President, I proposed that we should distribute energy carrier subsidies fairly in the long term."
Ghaemian also pointed out the high per capita energy consumption in Iran, stating: "This issue has led to widespread fuel smuggling, and we are practically paying subsidies to neighboring countries." He emphasized that one of the ways to combat smuggling is to bring energy carrier prices to international rates and compensate the people for it.
Need for Reforms in Energy Carrier Prices
The Vice President considered price stabilization as a step towards implementing justice and said: "Currently, wealthy individuals benefit more from subsidies, while those with lower incomes use less gasoline and gas. This situation is not fair."
He emphasized that such a plan is not on the government's agenda, explaining that this idea was proposed to highlight the importance of identifying corruption bottlenecks and combating smuggling of goods and currency. Ghaemian concluded by saying: "The corruption bottleneck is the price difference between Iran and neighboring countries, and if it is not corrected, smuggling will continue."
Read more: Seyed Mohammad Atabak: Energy Imbalance Should Not Hinder Production and Industrial Investment · Seizure of a Truck Carrying 33,000 Liters of Smuggled Fuel in Sarvestan
