Fuel Price Archives - Iran News Daily

Iran’s annual inflation declines to 38.6%; SCI reports

reporter 1222 — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 06:41:19 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) announced that the Iran’s annual inflation rate during December 22, 2019-January 20, 2020, stood at 38.6 percent, indicating a 1.4 percent decline compared to the 30-day period to December 21.

This comes as annual inflation rates for urban and rural households in the month to January 20 were 38 percent and 42.2 percent, respectively, showing decreases of 1.3 percent and 1.6 percent compared to the figures for the preceding 30-day period, IRNA reported.

According to SCI, the point-to-point inflation rate during the month to January 20 reached 26.3 percent, meaning that Iranian families spent, on average, 26.3 percent more money on purchasing goods and services compared to the payments they made for buying the same items in this duration last year.

Point-to-point inflation during the 30-day time span to January 20 was 1.5 percentage point (PP) lower than that of the preceding month (which ended on December 21).

In the month to January 20, point-to-point inflation rate for the major group of foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco on one hand and non-edible items and services, on the other, witnessed decreases of 4 PP and 0.3 PP, respectively, compared to the rates for the previous month, to stand at 24 percent and 27.4 percent.

In addition, point-to-point inflation for urban and rural households in the month to January 20 amounted to 26.2 percent and 27 percent, respectively, down 1.4 PP and 1.9 PP compared to the figures for the month before.

Monthly inflation, however, reached 0.8 percent in the 30-day period to January 20, showing a decline of 2.4 PP compared to the rate for the preceding 30-day period.

In this period, monthly inflation rate for the group of foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco decreased 0.3 percent, compared to that of the previous month. This comes as that of the group of non-edible items and services in the same month witnessed a 1.4 percent growth against the month before.

During December 22, 2019-January 20, 2020, monthly inflation for urban and rural families stood at 0.9 percent and 0.5 percent respectively, showing declines of 2.1 PP and 3.7 PP compared to the rates for the previous month.

In the month to January 20, the sharpest price rise in the group of foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco, compared to the preceding 30-day period, pertained to the subgroup of fruits and dried fruits, such as pomegranates, bananas and watermelons.

In this duration, the highest price rise, month-on-month, in the group of non-edible items and services was related to the subgroups of transportation.

In the 30-day period ending on January 20, the prices of red and white meats, meat products and vegetables, such as tomatoes, witnessed month-on-month decreases.

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Iran’s fuel consumption decreased in 18 months

reporter 1222 — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 06:42:28 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s managing policies succeeded to reduce domestic fuel consumption by over nine billion liters in the past 18 months, said the head of the Headquarters to Combat Smuggling of Goods and Foreign Exchange.

In an address to a press conference on Monday, Ali Moayedi-Khoramabadi, added diesel accounted for 90 percent of the decrease in fuel consumption in this period, IRNA reported.

He noted that in the past few years, diesel has become a lucrative commodity for smugglers.

Fighting rampant fuel smuggling to neighboring countries has always been a serious concern for Iran, which has some of the world’s cheapest fuel prices due to heavy government subsidies.

In a bid to curb fuel – particularly gasoline – smuggling from the country, on November 15, Iran introduced gasoline rationing and price hikes with Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the head of the country’s Plan and Budget Organization, saying that the revenue would be used to increase the amount of monthly subsidies granted to 18 million needy families.

Following the Iranian government’s announcement, Iran’s fuel consumption declined to 75 million liters per day from 95 million liters per day, IRNA reported.

Moayedi-Khoramabadi noted that US unilateral sanctions, imposed on Iran following Washington’s withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers, have had an impact on goods and foreign currency smuggling from the country.

“However, we have made efforts to prepare the ground in such a way as to prevent smuggling of basic goods from the country.”

The official noted that smuggled items worth over $2.26 billion have been discovered and seized since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019), indicating a significant rise compared to the figure for the same period last year.

“In the area of combatting fuel smuggling, we managed to focus on main networks and arrest a key player thanks to efforts by Iran’s Judiciary and the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. In this case, it was proved that hundreds of million liters of fuel had been smuggled from the country. Over the past few days, the final verdict was issued regarding the case and the culprit was given a $34.52 million fine.”

The official put at 86,000, valued at $2.14 billion, the number of smuggling cases being pursued by Iran’s judicial system since March 2019.

The Iranian government, he said, seeks to root out smuggling in Iran by setting up systems to this end.

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1.3 Million Liter Cargo of Smuggled Fuel Seized

reporter 1222 — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:52:55 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a ship near Iran’s Bu Musa Island in the Persian Gulf, which its cargo was filled by 1.312 million liters of smuggled fuel.

The IRGC, on Monday, seized a ship of smuggled fuel cargo with 16 Malaysians on board, near Bu Musa Island in the Persian Gulf waters.

As reported, the ship was smuggling out of the country about 1.312 million liters of subsidized fuel.

The name of the country that the tanker was sailing under its flag has not been revealed.

Early in this month, some 1,500 liters of smuggled fuel was found and seized in Alborz County of Iran’s Qazvin province, Chief of the county Colonel Bahram Mansouri broke the news, adding that the smuggler has also been detained.

Colonel Mansouri said that in continuation of measures to combat fuel smuggling, police forces of Qazvin Province have seized 1,000 liters of smuggled fuel in Alborz county.

One tank-truck consisted of smuggled Kerosene was seized, he said, adding that the smuggler has been also arrested in the operation and handed to judiciary officials.

Fuel, especially diesel, is being moved illegally out of the country through cities bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey, says Alireza Zeighami, deputy oil minister for refining and distribution. Between 7 million-10 million liters of petrol and diesel are smuggled out every day, according to Iranian state media. Analysts are attributing a 7 percent rise in fuel consumption to an increase in smuggling activity.

Last month, Police announced that it confiscated more than 2,000 liters of smuggled fuel in Maku, a border county in the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan.

In October, Police Chief of the Southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan Brigadier General Mohammad Qanbari said that the attracting crime of fuel smuggling out of Iran is being seriously fought, adding that his forces have confiscated nearly 7.8 million liters of smuggled fuel since the start of the local calendar year on March 21.

Brigadier General Qanbari said that through extensive operations carried out by police forces 7,796,792 liters of a cargo of smuggled fuel have been seized in the province during the first 7 months of the current Iranian year (March 21- October 22), and it shows an increase compared to the corresponding period in last year.

3.9 million liters of diesel, 1.1 million liters of oil, 835,000 liters of gasoline, and 1.9 million liters of other types of fuel have been seized during the operations in addition to the dismantling of 104 fuel smuggling bands, he added.

149 fuel depots and 241 tank-trucks have been confiscated, he said.

Although Iranian rial has experienced a severe depreciation against international currencies in recent months, fuel prices, except for gas whose price was tripled in last month, have remained unchanged and this has multiplied the lucrativeness of fuel smuggling in Iran.

As reported in early June, Iran has launched a border market to sell diesel fuel to buyers in Pakistan and Afghanistan to counter smuggling of fuel ate border areas.

Early in October, Commander of the Border Forces of Khuzestan province Lotfali Pakbaz said that Abadan coast guards in Southwestern Iran identified and seized an oil tanker carrying fuel to neighboring countries.

In September, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) captured a vessel in the Persian Gulf for smuggling 250,000 liters of diesel fuel.

“The vessel was seized in the IRGC Navy’s 5th region in the Persian Gulf area as it was carrying a large amount of diesel fuel illegally,” the IRGC said.

The crew of the smuggling fuel ship, which was stopped and brought under detention 32 kilometers off Iran’s Greater Tunb Island in the Persian Gulf, have been handed over to the judicial authorities to undergo legal proceedings.

The report added that the smugglers said during the interrogation that they had loaded the cargo of smuggled fuel at the Sang Salameh region and they were carrying it to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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Daily consumption of gasoline dropped by %15.9

reporter 1222 — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 11:01:09 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s daily consumption of gasoline has dropped by almost a sixth more than a month after the government announced its controversial fuel price hikes.

A senior Oil Ministry official said on Monday that the total gasoline pumped into the cars across the country had decreased to 75.5 million liters a day on average in the month ending December 21, 2019.

Amir Vakilzadeh said the figure shows a reduction of 15.9 percent compared to the same period in 2018, Presstv Reported.

The official, who serves as the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), said daily gasoline consumption could have reached nearly 100 million liters a day at the beginning of the next Iranian calendar year in March if price hikes had not been implemented in November.

Vakilzadeh said consumption had grown by 6.1 percent year-on-year before the fuel price hikes were announced on November 15 to reach an average of 94.4 million liters a day.

Iranian motorists were taken by surprise last month when they came to know of the government’s abrupt decision to increase the price of gasoline by three times while a cap of 60 liters a month was also imposed for half-price, rationed gasoline.

The government stood by the hikes despite protests and riots that erupted across the country.

Officials said the hikes were necessary to contain rampant smuggling of the fuel across the borders and a growing demand which could force the country to resume imports at a time the oil industry in under heavy American sanctions.

The Oil Ministry has said that lower domestic consumption of gasoline can allow exports of the fuel to neighboring countries while it would help diversify the fuel basket inside Iran through supplying more compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the motorists.

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Gasoline Export Can Reach to 30 Mln Litres

reporter 1222 — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 10:49:32 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – A senior energy official announced that Iran’s gasoline export, for now, includes some 25 million to 30 million liters per day as a result of the implementation of the gasoline rationing scheme that recently came back into force.

Spokesman of the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union Hamid Hosseini noted that a sum of 30 million liters of gasoline export per day can earn the country three billion to four billion dollars.

He noted that Iran presently produces 115 million liters of gasoline per day and as predicted by implementing the rationing scheme the country will have an excess of 30 million liters of gasoline per day which can be exported.

On November 13, the Iranian government started rationing subsidized gasoline and increased fuel prices as it plans to use the revenue for supporting underprivileged families.

On November 26, the Iranian Oil Ministry announced that domestic consumption has decreased by 19 million liters per day after the implementation of the gasoline rationing scheme in Iran.

Experts say rationing fuel in Iran would prevent tens of millions of liters of gas being wasted each day in a country which still grapples with the economic impacts of a series of American sanctions.

Iran increased the price of gas overnight on Friday while it imposed a cap on the use of the fuel with regular price of 15,000 rials ($0.12) per liter.

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President, Speaker, Judiciary Chief Hold Meeting on Fuel Price Hikes

reporter 1222 — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 12:10:16 +0000

President, Speaker, Judiciary Chief Hold Meeting on Fuel Price Hikes

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – The recent decision to triple the fuel prices, which has caused sporadic protests across the country, was discussed on Saturday in a meeting of the Supreme Council of Economic Coordination.

During the session, which was attended by heads of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of the Iranian government, Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli presented a report on the fuel consumption management plan as well as the economic aid due to be paid to lower-income classes.

The Iranian president, the parliament speaker, and the judiciary chief in turn appreciated the work and services of Rahmani Fazli.

The Council also agreed that all governmental bodies will fully cooperate in implementing the fuel consumption management plan and helping lower-income classes.

Promoting social justice, empowering 60 million Iranians with a focus on lower-income households, combatting fuel trafficking, consumption management and strengthening the economy are among the goals of the programme.

The Deputy Judiciary Chief and the Prosecutor General emphasized at the meeting that the Judiciary will fully cooperate in implementing the programme, according to the president’s official website.

Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament, called for the participation of all bodies in the successful implementation of the programme, which is based on the Sixth Development Plan Act and the directive of the heads of the trio branches of the Iranian government.

At the meeting of the Supreme Council of Economic Coordination, it was also emphasized that with regard to the provision of resources, the aids would be paid regularly every month, and the payments would start next week.

The meeting came as sporadic protests have erupted in various Iranian cities one day after gasoline prices were tripled without any earlier announcement.

Meanwhile yesterday Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri says ongoing protests over a spike in subsidized gasoline prices has been orchestrated from outside the country, warning that any disorderly conduct would face legal action.

In an interview with state TV on Saturday, Montazeri said the gasoline price hike has been proposed after expert arrangements and carried out within the framework of law.

He said the legal increase in the fuel price would serve the public interests, noting that a group of people seek to take advantage of the situation, foment unrest and disrupt the order in the country.

People of Iran will definitely separate themselves from a small group of rioters that proved their opposition to the Islamic Republic by blocking the streets or attacking a number of buildings, the prosecutor general noted, saying the disruptive conducts have their roots in foreign countries.

The opposition and the hostile currents have been employing the social media in recent days to provoke people, he added, noting, “Such measures and conducts that disrupt public order are considered a crime under the law, and the law enforcement forces and the judicial system feel duty-bound to take legal action against the people disrupting the public order.”

The state TV reported that the police has used tear gas to “keep the demonstrators from damaging public properties.”

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