Mohammadreza Rezaei-Kouchi, describing the committee’s meeting Tuesday attended by Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, said lawmakers reviewed the Oil Ministry’s implementation of Article 12. He called the provision an exceptional opportunity for the country.

Under Article 12, government agencies and the private sector refer their projects to the Oil Ministry when they achieve energy savings, and the ministry pays them cash resources equivalent to the value of those savings, he said.

The mechanism both prevents energy waste and channels the resulting savings into the implementation of the country’s civil and infrastructure projects, Rezaei-Kouchi added.

He said agencies including the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, the Ports and Maritime Organization, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways were invited to the meeting to explain projects they have referred to the Oil Ministry under Article 12. The agencies presented positive reports, showing that projects funded through this mechanism are underway.

Rezaei-Kouchi reiterated that the oil minister has shown serious determination to implement Article 12 and has taken the correct path, noting that funds from energy savings have already been paid for some projects and have produced satisfactory outcomes.