BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 12
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
The gasoline consumption has declined by 19 percent in Iran as a result of the gasoline quota and an increase in gasoline price, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Iranian provinces Murtaza Alviri said.
Alviri made the remark at the 26th session of the Supreme Council in Tehran, Trend reports referring to IRNA.
“After the gasoline price changed, the movement of single-occupant vehicle (only driver) in Tehran has decreased by 200,000 cases and the use of the subway increased by six percent,” the chairman said.
Commenting on the rise in gasoline prices, Alviri added that one of the most important steps was to rapidly implement the gasoline price change project.
“Before the implementation, citizens should have been informed about the project,” the chairman said. “But attention was not paid to this issue.”
Alviri hopes that the proceeds from this project will be used for the development of public transport and urban infrastructure.
“Less attention is paid to the dependence on oil revenues in Iran's budget next year [from March 21, 2020 through March 21, 2021],” Alviri said. “Thus, 90 percent of the budget will be ensured through non-oil revenues, especially through taxes.”
"As there is no stability in the global oil market, it is possible to turn the problem of a decrease in oil revenues into an opportunity and to work over the allocation of oil revenues from the budget," the chairman said.
On Nov. 15, 2019, the price of gasoline sold on quota increased from 10,000 rials (23 cents) to 15,000 rials (35 cents) and the price of gasoline sold free from the quota increased to 30,000 rials (71 cents) in Iran.
According to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company's statement on Dec. 8, an average of 98.7 million liters of gasoline were consumed daily from October 23 till November 15 (the day when the quota was applied and gasoline price increased), and an average of 76.6 million liters of gasoline was consumed daily from November 15 through December 6.
The draft budget for the next Iranian year worth 4.84 quadrillion rials (about $115 billion) was submitted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the parliament on Dec. 8. After consideration, the budget for the next year will be approved by the Iranian parliament.
