Gasoline price on the verge of increase – Municipality Newspaper: How long will the government maintain the current gasoline price?
Hamshahri Newspaper wrote: The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company denied the rumor of a gasoline price increase, stating that a price increase is not on the agenda at all, and these rumors are completely false.
It is clear that the mentioned company is not the decision-maker regarding the pricing of oil products, including gasoline, and is merely the executor of the government’s decisions. Therefore, the denial of the gasoline price increase rumor by the implementing company has no basis.
Nevertheless, the question remains: if there is an imbalance between gasoline production and consumption, what will be the policy of the government and the Ministry of Oil, and how long can they maintain the current gasoline price? With this decision, can the increasing trend of consumption be curbed?
Experience has shown that both the policy of price stabilization in the long term is indefensible and the policy of price shocks does not work. It seems that to solve the gasoline puzzle, one must distance from errors and short-term views, and before any decision, inform the public about the situation and the future imbalance between supply and consumption. If there is to be a price adjustment, it should be clear what explicit policy will be implemented to prevent consumption trends and reduce fuel usage in vehicles. Until this puzzle is solved, any policy will be a temporary measure, and reliance on it will not prevent consumption.