Hemat Gholizadeh, an energy economics analyst, warned about the problems arising from the privatization of oil refineries in Iran and its effects on the country's economy. The increase in living costs and the decrease in household purchasing power in recent years have made the need for a review of privatization policies since 2007 a vital issue.
Livelihood Crisis and Economic Pressure on Households
Gholizadeh points to the current economic situation, stating: "The rising cost of living has made even meeting daily needs difficult for parts of society." He believes that economic pressure on families can threaten social cohesion. In a situation where the dollar reaches 300,000 tomans, it is predicted that the price of some essential items, such as a carton of eggs, could reach one million tomans.
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Analysis of Privatized Refineries
This energy economics analyst criticizes the state of oil refineries that were previously privatized. He states: "Iran previously had 9 state-owned refineries that were privatized; however, the results of this policy do not indicate an improvement in the performance and efficiency of these enterprises." Gholizadeh refers to the Isfahan refinery, which was purchased in installments for 800 billion tomans, and its net profit for the current year has reached 80 trillion tomans. Additionally, it is predicted that the net profit of this company will reach 177 trillion tomans by 2026.
He believes that if these refineries had not been privatized, the government could have benefited from the revenues generated by their operations and would have faced less pressure to cover its expenses.
Gholizadeh also criticizes the pricing structure of petroleum products, stating: "The pricing of national resources cannot be such that public interests are overlooked." He emphasizes the need to reform the economic structure and review privatization policies to improve household livelihoods and maintain social cohesion.
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