Iran Government Spokesman Denies Gasoline Price Increase in Kish and Qeshm Islands
Iran’s government spokesman rejected reports about a pilot scheme to increase gasoline prices on the islands of Qeshm and Kish, saying that in these two regions, gasoline quotas will only be assigned to individuals based on their national ID rather than to vehicle owners.
Ali Bahadri Jahromi on Monday, December 20, added that gasoline prices in Kish and Qeshm are “the same standard rate of 1,500 tomans for rationed gasoline and 3,000 tomans for free-market gasoline” and will have “no difference” with current rates.
He described the purpose of implementing this plan as enabling people who do not own vehicles to use their fuel quota through their national ID code.
Mr. Bahadri explained: “Currently, if someone does not own a car, they cannot use their gasoline quota… but someone who owns, for example, four cars, uses four times the quota. Naturally, this system is unjust and the share of someone who cannot afford to buy a car is not reflected in fuel allocation.”
His remarks came after the ILNA news agency quoted Fereydoon Abbasi, the representative of Kazerun in parliament, as saying earlier on Monday that the gasoline price increase “will be implemented as a pilot in Kish and Qeshm.”
Mr. Abbasi had added that since incomes in these regions vary, “it might be appropriate” for the gasoline price increase plan to be implemented experimentally “in these locations.”
Without mentioning the amount of the gasoline price increase, he said “we hope the negligence and mismanagement of November 2019 will not be repeated” and the model that occurred in November 2019 “was implemented incorrectly.”
His reference was to the November 2019 protests, the bloodiest political-social event in Iran over the past four decades, which erupted following a sudden gasoline price increase and was met with severe crackdowns and direct fire on protesters.
In contrast, the government spokesman called reports about gasoline price increases “news-mongering” and emphasized that “they are not accurate.”
He said: “Gasoline is not going to become more expensive and the government is not pursuing overnight decisions” and “certainly if a decision is to be made that will affect the daily life and general affairs of people, its various aspects will be carefully considered.”
TradingNews website had also reported in this regard that the government intends to implement a plan in Kish and Qeshm island. According to this plan, “gasoline quotas would be allocated to family members instead of to vehicles, and individuals would decide whether to sell their quota or keep it.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, December 21, the acting head of the cultural and social affairs department of the Kish Free Zone Organization also denied the news published regarding the gasoline price increase in Kish and Qeshm islands.
Hossein Shamsian Rad responded to Fereydoon Abbasi’s remarks about implementing a “pilot” gasoline price increase plan in Kish and Qeshm, saying: “I believe this parliamentary representative is completely unaware of the details of the plan to allocate gasoline based on national ID.”
Source: Radio Farda
