1prophet
Diamond Member
Protests rage over petrol rationing in Iran
Angry Iranians have torched petrol stations in protests against the sudden imposition of fuel rationing in one of the world?s most oil rich nations.
Youths set a car and petrol pumps ablaze in the capital
The rationing was announced on Tuesday only three hours before it was due to begin at midnight, leading to long queues at service stations as Iranians rushed out to fill up before the clampdown kicked in.
In the capital, youths set a car and petrol pumps ablaze at a station in the residential Pounak area of northwestern Tehran, throwing stones and shouting angry slogans denouncing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to power in an election based largely on his promises to improve the Islamic republic?s faltering economy.
He has been facing growing criticisms over his economic policies, which a group of economists claimed earlier this month were fuelling inflation and hurting the poor.
The Iranian government had been planning for weeks to implement rationing, which was supposed to begin May 21, but has repeatedly held off from making the move.
In a country where citizens are used to having cheap and plentiful gas the issue is a sensitive one.
Lines of more than a half a mile long snaked out of some stations in Tehran, while riot police were in some streets to disperse the demonstrators.
Iran has to import more than 50 percent of its petrol needs because of its low refining capability, despite being the second biggest exporter in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
To make matters worse, consumers are being forced to use smart cards to keep track of their purchases but problems in distributing the cards have delayed implementation of the plan, while pumping petrol into vehicles is only possible when the smart card is inserted into the pumping machine.
Petrol sales have been subsidised by the government in an attempt to keep prices low.
Under the new rationing system, owners of private cars can buy only 100 litres (26 gallons) per month at the subsidised price of 1,000 Rials per litre (£0.19) while taxi-owners can purchase 800 litres (211 gallons) a month.
Unrest on the streets has also been played out politically in Iran?s parliament, where conservatives have been pushing for higher petrol prices in the hope of cutting back on demand in order to allow for money to be invested in the oil and gas production sector.
President Ahmadinejad has been resisting allowing increases because of his campaign promises to share Iran?s oil wealth with lower income groups and has also fought off efforts by parliament to reverse a 2005 decision to suspend a law stating that petrol prices must increase 10 percent every year.
However, he has been repeatedly criticised by the Iranian press for stoking already high inflation with high spending and promising lavish local investment projects on visits to the country?s regions.
No wonder President Ahmadinejad wants nuclear power, he must be running out of gas since refineries are much harder to build.:laugh:
Maybe he will try a wag the dog to deflect any potential criticism of the countries policies.😉
Check out the pictures of the gas lines, at least they have smart cards instead of relying on odd or even days based on the last digit of your plate.😀
Angry Iranians have torched petrol stations in protests against the sudden imposition of fuel rationing in one of the world?s most oil rich nations.
Youths set a car and petrol pumps ablaze in the capital
The rationing was announced on Tuesday only three hours before it was due to begin at midnight, leading to long queues at service stations as Iranians rushed out to fill up before the clampdown kicked in.
In the capital, youths set a car and petrol pumps ablaze at a station in the residential Pounak area of northwestern Tehran, throwing stones and shouting angry slogans denouncing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to power in an election based largely on his promises to improve the Islamic republic?s faltering economy.
He has been facing growing criticisms over his economic policies, which a group of economists claimed earlier this month were fuelling inflation and hurting the poor.
The Iranian government had been planning for weeks to implement rationing, which was supposed to begin May 21, but has repeatedly held off from making the move.
In a country where citizens are used to having cheap and plentiful gas the issue is a sensitive one.
Lines of more than a half a mile long snaked out of some stations in Tehran, while riot police were in some streets to disperse the demonstrators.
Iran has to import more than 50 percent of its petrol needs because of its low refining capability, despite being the second biggest exporter in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
To make matters worse, consumers are being forced to use smart cards to keep track of their purchases but problems in distributing the cards have delayed implementation of the plan, while pumping petrol into vehicles is only possible when the smart card is inserted into the pumping machine.
Petrol sales have been subsidised by the government in an attempt to keep prices low.
Under the new rationing system, owners of private cars can buy only 100 litres (26 gallons) per month at the subsidised price of 1,000 Rials per litre (£0.19) while taxi-owners can purchase 800 litres (211 gallons) a month.
Unrest on the streets has also been played out politically in Iran?s parliament, where conservatives have been pushing for higher petrol prices in the hope of cutting back on demand in order to allow for money to be invested in the oil and gas production sector.
President Ahmadinejad has been resisting allowing increases because of his campaign promises to share Iran?s oil wealth with lower income groups and has also fought off efforts by parliament to reverse a 2005 decision to suspend a law stating that petrol prices must increase 10 percent every year.
However, he has been repeatedly criticised by the Iranian press for stoking already high inflation with high spending and promising lavish local investment projects on visits to the country?s regions.
No wonder President Ahmadinejad wants nuclear power, he must be running out of gas since refineries are much harder to build.:laugh:
Maybe he will try a wag the dog to deflect any potential criticism of the countries policies.😉
Check out the pictures of the gas lines, at least they have smart cards instead of relying on odd or even days based on the last digit of your plate.😀
