Iran’s petrol import to hit $20b in 4 years

A senior parliamentarian said that the government will have to import $20 bln worth of gasoline over the next four years to meet ever-increasing demand, stressing that the lawmakers have rejected the proposal to ration fuel.

Kamal Daneshyar, who heads the Majlis Energy Commission, told Mehr news agency that gasoline distribution mechanism will not change this year, adding that gasoline imports will reach $4-5 bln by March.

..Iran is currently facing a huge growth in gasoline consumption. Growing fuel smuggling has also added to the dilemma in recent years, when prices have not increased commensurate with the inflation rate.

It was announced earlier that smart gasoline cards will be distributed nationwide from February 2006 as part of efforts to control consumption.

IranMania