Government Spokesperson: We have no plans to increase gasoline prices

While a week ago, Fereydoun Abbasi, a member of the Parliament's Energy Commission, had said that the plan to increase gasoline prices on the islands of Kish and Qeshm was in a "pilot" and experimental state, government spokesman Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday denied the gasoline price increase and said that the government has no plan in this regard.

Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a press conference on Tuesday, January 27, that the goal of the government's new plan is to "distribute gasoline subsidies more fairly."

Iran's Oil Minister had previously said about the "Gasoline for All" plan that those who have resided in Iran for one year can receive 15 liters of gasoline per month for 1,500 Tomans.

Iranian government officials say the "Gasoline for All" plan is a way to provide people without cars with gasoline subsidies, but statistics show that with this method, government revenues from gasoline sales will increase by up to six times.

Previously, in November 2019, following a sudden increase in gasoline prices, the November 2019 protests took place, which was the bloodiest socio-political event in Iran in the last four decades.

These protests quickly changed direction and targeted the government, led by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, but were met with severe repression and direct gunfire at the protesters.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Raisi's government spokesman criticized Hassan Rouhani's government, accusing the previous government of "dishonesty and disregard for the people," and saying that public distrust "has been inherited from the past for this government."

Bahadori Jahromi continued, alluding to Hassan Rouhani, who in November 2019 had said that he had been informed of the situation on Friday morning when the gasoline price increase was announced, saying, "The 13th government is not one for overnight decisions and bitter news on Friday morning, and this government is a people's government, not a security government."

He speaks of Raisi's government's "lack of security" while, since Ebrahim Raisi's candidacy for the presidency, the head of the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office has contacted a number of journalists and media activists and asked them not to publish anything against or critical of Raisi in the media and social networks.

Source: Radio Farda