Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 14
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
A total amount of 4.065 million liters of gasoline and 196.55 million liters of gas oil were sold at the border markets of Iran during the last Iranian fiscal year (which ended March 20), CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company Nasser Sajjadi said.
The sold amount of fuel earned Iran a total of $167 million, he said, ISNA news agency reported Sept. 14.
The amount came with an increase of 1.373 million liters of gasoline and 61,525 million liters of gas oil compared to the preceding year.
The official said the sale of fuel is an important activity in Iran 's border economy. This not only creates jobs for the local people, it also prevents the fuel smuggling, he noted.
Iran's provinces of Kurdistan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Kermanshah, Razavi Khorasan, Ardabil, and Gilan have border markets for the sale of fuel.
The average monthly quantity of petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) products smuggled from Iran and duly confiscated by Customs authorities of Pakistan alone last year had been 131,238 litres, Pakistan 's Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reported in August 2014.
Iran sells gasoline at borders despite the fact that it is currently an importer of gasoline. It is however different with gas oil. Iran has replaced natural gas for gas oil as fuel for many power plants and industrial units, giving the country a surplus of gas oil for export.
Edited by CN