No Immediate Plan to Change Gasoline Quotas, Prices: Iran's Oil Minister

Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said Monday there are currently no plans to change the quotas or prices for subsidized fuel in personal smart cards.

“At the moment, there is no plan to change the amount of quotas or the price of fuel quotas in personal cards,” Paknejad said. He added that for other sectors, related matters are still under review.

Paknejad made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting reviewing the first year of the Seventh Five-Year Development Plan (March 2024-29). He said his ministry reported its first-year performance in the oil industry to parliament, but the report was not completed due to a large number of legal mandates and limited time.

He stated that performance in crude oil and natural gas production has been very good, showing significant growth compared to the baseline year of 1402.

The minister emphasized that some legal mandates need revision, and suggested changes have been formally submitted to the Plan and Budget Organization and shared with parliament.

Addressing rumors about changes to fuel quotas and prices, Paknejad did not deny them, saying, “All these issues are under expert review. Various groups of experts are summarizing their opinions, and there is good coordination and interaction with the parliament.”

He stressed that decisions on changing energy prices or quotas are not solely within the Oil Ministry's authority.

“The duty of the Oil Ministry is the production, supply and distribution of energy carriers and fuel,” Paknejad said. “However, broader decisions, including changes in prices or quotas, are made at the level of the government and even some governing bodies. After the resolutions are communicated, the Oil Ministry will be able to implement them.” - Shana