Iranian official : Petrol rationing saves Iran $38 billion

TEHRAN,Dec.31(MNA)-- Rationing the supply of gasoline since 2008 has prevented Iran from importing 65 billion liters of the product, saving the country some $38 billion, an official with the National Iranian Oil Production and Distribution Company said. In 2007, the country’s daily gasoline consumption stood at 60 million liters. In 2008, the figure reached 67 million liters. If the rationing plan had not been implemented, the figure would surge to 89 million liters per day, Ali Farahani told . The petrol rationing along with the Subsidy Reform Plan, which was launched in December last year, curbed the gasoline consumption at 60.4 million liters per day, saving the country some $38 billion to date, he noted. Iran may begin exporting gasoline in the next calendar year (to start on March 21, 2012) thanks to the cut in domestic gasoline consumption after implementing the Subsidy Reform Plan, oil minister Rostam Qasemi said. Referring to the Subsidy Reform Plan and its effects in reducing gasoline consumption, he explained: “If the gasoline consumption had continued according to the patterns before the reform plan, it would have surged to 120 million liters per day annually. But, the figure is currently around 60 million liters per day.” The consumption of four highly-consumed fuels in Iran has declined noticeably since implementation of the reform plan, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said. Jalil Salari said on October 21 that since the enforcement of the Subsidy Reform Plan in the country in December 2010, the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel has cut between 4 and 19 percent. The subsidy reform plan allows the Iranian government to gradually slash subsidies on fuel, electricity, and certain goods over the course of five years, with low-income families being compensated with direct cash handouts.