Iran is the world’s fourth largest oil producer but lacks refining capacity and must import large amounts of gasoline to cover its needs, a sensitive issue as the West considers tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear activities.
To curb soaring consumption of heavily-subsidised gasoline costing only 1,000 rials per litre (around 5 pence), the Islamic state launched rationing in June. But many drivers complain their quotas are not enough.
The Iran daily on Saturday quoted acting Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari as saying motorists would be allocated the extra fuel as a one-off “travel quota” to be used before the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2008).
“The Oil Ministry has been ordered to allocate an additional 100-litre gasoline quota to the quota of private cars,” he was quoted as saying.
