Iran: Fuel Cards Futile

Mandatory use of fuel cards that will come into effect in two months but cannot curb gasoline smuggling unless each car owner is obliged to use his/her own card to fill up, the former head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said.
"Fuel smuggling and consumption can be reduced only if and when the fuel cards are also used as vehicle ownership cards. Otherwise, the plan will fail to serve the intended purpose," Hassan Zia Kashani was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Now that fuel is not supposed to be rationed, allowing vehicle owners to use whoever’s card they want to buy unlimited amount of fuel is waste of money that will be invested to reactivate fuel cards, he added.