Margins of oil and energy
The field of oil and energy is always full of fringes and unexpected events and different stories, which we will discuss in this section.
The $10 billion TAPI project was first designed in the 1990s, but was repeatedly delayed due to war and instability in Afghanistan.
Central Asian countries are taking steps to improve relations with their southern neighbor, the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan, despite the extremist group’s development of restrictive policies, particularly toward women.
Earlier this month, the Kyrgyz government removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, Turkmenistan resumed work with Afghanistan on the major TAPI gas pipeline project, and Uzbekistan signed a cooperation agreement during the important visit of the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan to Afghanistan in 2018. Signed with Kabul worth 2.5 billion dollars.
Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jinbek Kolobaev announced on September 6 that the move is aimed at ensuring regional stability and further development of ongoing talks.
On September 11, Turkmen and Taliban officials held a ceremony to mark the resumption of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, which is designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan to South Asia annually.
In this ceremony, which was held in the border city of Turkmenistan, Sarhatbat, the former president Gurbanguly Bardimohamedov and the head of the powerful People’s Council of Turkmenistan were present, and the Taliban delegation was headed by the Prime Minister of this country, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on the list of sanctions by the United Nations. became.
Sardar Bardimohamedov, President of Turkmenistan, participated in this ceremony through video communication.
The $10 billion TAPI project was first designed in the 1990s, but was repeatedly delayed due to war and instability in Afghanistan.
Turkmenistan hopes the proposed 1,800-kilometer pipeline will become a key source of revenue for Ashgabat.
Also, Afghanistan will earn about 500 million dollars annually from transit fees, which is a source of income for their budget.
However, the future of TAPI is still in an aura of uncertainty due to Western sanctions on the Taliban government and the lack of official recognition of the government in Kabul, which can disrupt financing and investment in this project.
So far, no country in the world has officially recognized the Taliban government.
In August, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdullah Uripov visited Kabul, the highest-level visit by a foreign government official since the Taliban seized power in Kabul three years ago.
According to reports, during this trip, Uzbek and Taliban officials signed several investment and trade agreements worth about 2.5 billion dollars in energy, agriculture and production sectors.
Afghanistan and Kazakhstan announced in August 2023 that they intend to increase bilateral trade to 3 billion dollars per year.
Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, was the first country to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations in December 2023.
But while the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan quickly visited Kabul after the Taliban returned to power, Tajikistan was the only Central Asian country to take a hard line against Afghanistan’s new rulers.
This approach of Dushanbe’s leaders is largely due to their ethnic, linguistic and historical differences with the Taliban, who are mainly ethnic Pashtuns. But it seems that in the current situation, Tajikistan is changing its policies towards the Taliban in an action that Tajik experts describe as “recognition of reality”.
has reduced Tajikistan exports electricity to Kabul and has established several markets in border towns where local merchants from the two countries sell their wares. According to reports, the governments also discussed cooperation in the fight against militants targeting Tajik territory from inside Afghanistan.
Both Dushanbe and Kabul have a common interest in defeating the Islamic State-Khorasan terrorist group, which has recruited many militants from Tajikistan.
Afghan media have reported that “Simuddin Yatimif”, the head of the National Security Committee of Tajikistan, met with Abdul Haq Wathiq, the head of Taliban intelligence, at the end of August. Tajik authorities have neither confirmed nor denied these reports.
An expert based in Dushanbe, who did not want to be named, told RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that due to Tajikistan’s extensive border with Afghanistan, threats of terrorist attacks and economic incentives, Tajik authorities have no choice but to choose geopolitical cooperation with the country’s new leaders. .
Some experts claim that China and Kazakhstan played a role in persuading Dushanbe to change its attitude towards the Taliban government. In June, Kazakhstan’s President Kassem Jomart Toqayev addressed high-ranking officials of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Almaty, calling the Taliban a “long-term actor” and emphasizing the importance of developing commercial and economic cooperation with the Taliban.
The second part of this week deals with the issue of solving the gasoline dispute by implementing the gasoline quota allocation plan; Allocation of gasoline quota per person, in addition to solving the problem of fuel smuggling and non-optimal consumption of gasoline in urban traffic, is a help for households that do not have a vehicle. These people also benefit from the fuel subsidy and it will reduce the Gini coefficient.
The second part of this week deals with the issue of solving the gasoline dispute by implementing the gasoline quota allocation plan; In addition to solving the problem of fuel smuggling and suboptimal consumption of gasoline in urban traffic, allocating gasoline quota to people is a help for households that do not have a vehicle. These people also benefit from the fuel subsidy and it will reduce the Gini coefficient.
In the contemporary world where the car has become one of the necessities of everyday life, gasoline has gained strategic importance. This valuable material is produced or imported into the country at a high price. while it reaches the final consumer with subsidized and suppressed prices. Many believe that the very low price of gasoline, which is even lower than mineral water, is effective in increasing consumption.
In the current situation, the more we add to the amount of production and import, the consumption will also increase. It is not possible to continue the current process, and we must have four thoughts in this area.
The Majlis Research Center has put forward a plan entitled allocating gasoline quota to each person, which can be used as a basis for the fair distribution of gasoline subsidies and also help to control consumption. According to many, the implementation of this plan with accurate and calculated expert work can solve the country’s problems in the field of gasoline.
You can read the comments of Ali Jafari Azar, the representative of Azarshahr, Esco and Tabriz in the parliament, regarding the proposed plan of the parliamentary research center to assign gasoline quotas to people instead of cars.
Jafari Azar pointed out that allocating gasoline quotas to people is an effective way to create justice in the distribution of gasoline subsidies, and stated: In this plan, instead of gasoline quotas being assigned to cars, people will benefit from gasoline subsidies quotas. We can pay the difference in the gasoline quota of Yaranhai and Azad to the households’ cards. The implementation of the gasoline quota plan per person has various advantages for us, and for this reason, its implementation can be useful.
He continued: As a result of the implementation of the plan of allocating gasoline per person, we can set the price of gasoline at a single rate, which has many advantages for us. Currently, we see two rates in the slots that have created problems. Allocating gasoline quota to people can solve these issues.
This member of parliament pointed out: No matter how much the price of gasoline increases, the difference should be charged to the cards of the households. Allocation of gasoline quota per person is closer to justice, and we will distribute the fuel subsidy with more justice than the current situation.
Jafari Azar said: There are large families in cities and villages who do not have cars at all. These people do not benefit from gasoline subsidy. On the contrary, we see affluent families who have high facilities and use several cars.. These people have forecasts for even and odd days and use cars with different license plates. These people use the most gasoline subsidy in the country.
He continued: Wealthy people who own several cars and use high gasoline subsidies are the cause of traffic, air pollution, etc. and create problems. These conditions are not fair in terms of fuel subsidy allocation and should be changed.
This member of parliament pointed out that the allocation of gasoline quota per person is implemented with the aim of managing gasoline consumption and helping to implement justice in the distribution of fuel subsidies. In addition to solving the problem of fuel smuggling and suboptimal consumption of gasoline in urban traffic, allocating gasoline quota to people is a help for households that do not have a vehicle. These people also benefit from the fuel subsidy and it will reduce the Gini coefficient.
Jafari Azar said: The plan proposed by the Majlis Research Center in the field of allocating gasoline quota to each person is the best method that we can consider for fuel subsidy distribution. In the previous parliament, many representatives talked about the advantages of implementing this plan. Even now, this design is popular.
Jafari Azar said: In the plan of allocating gasoline quota per person, gasoline subsidy will be allocated to every Iranian and some problems such as excessive consumption will be prevented. Allocation of gasoline quota per person leads to an increase in the use of public transportation. Because we will witness some kind of consumption management.
This member of parliament emphasized: Considering the living conditions of the people, we cannot go towards actualizing the price of gasoline and increasing its price. We can solve the problems in this area through plans such as allocating gasoline quotas to people
The third margin also deals with the issue of reducing the oil quota of hard-to-reach areas; The people’s representative in the Islamic Council said: I request diligent follow-up from the Minister of Oil regarding the reduction of the kerosene fuel quota for mountainous and difficult-to-reach summer resorts from 210 liters to 60 liters.
Yasir Islam Dost, the representative of the people of Talash, Razvanshahr and Masal in the Islamic Council, said in a note in the public session of the parliament today: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made millions of Iranians and non-Iranians happy with Operation Sadiq 2 yesterday and last night. I say this to these dear ones.
He continued: First of all, my first note is to the Minister of Oil and I request him to diligently follow up on the reduction of the kerosene fuel quota for mountainous and difficult-to-access summer cottages from 210 liters to 60 liters. Mr. Minister, kerosene is of great importance in these areas and is one of the necessities of the people.
Unfortunately, the oil products company has considered the climate of these areas as climate three. My next remark is to the honorable Minister of Roads and Urban Development. Although he has just taken the chair of the ministry, it is necessary to remind him that 21 years have passed since the implementation of the Talash city belt operation and this project has not yet been completed.