Iran shows significant increases in gasoline imports

03-03-07

Iran's government spent almost $ 4 bn on gasoline imports during March 2006-January 2007, recording a significant increase from the same period the previous year.
A report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance indicated that petrol import costs rose by 187 % in the 10-month period, when rials 35.8 tn ($ 3.9 bn) were spent on gasoline imports, up from the rials 12.4 tn spent during the same period the previous year.

The government was authorized by the 2006-2007 Budget Law to spend rials 33.5 tn, but according to the report, it spent almost 7 % more.
The Ahmadinejad administration also spent rials 50.1 tn on subsidies for essential goods and medicines in the 10-month period, an increase of 37.5 % from last year. The government paid out 16 % more subsidies than it was projected to pay under the annual budget law.

Fuel consumption is on the rise in oil-rich Iran, where gasoline is literally cheaper than water.
Gas pumps sell fuel for less than nine cents per litre while bottled water costs Iranians nearly twice as much.
 

Source: www.presstv.ir / AA/BH/AVA