Replying to reporters’ questions on the sidelines of signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on Saturday, Qasemi said: Establishment of exclusive customs offices for imports and exports of oil products would accelerate clearance procedures adding the initiative will be followed by falling costs and better development of oil industry.  

As the first step, these customs offices will be set up in Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Imam Khomeini port and Assaluyeh, onshore installations of South Pars Gas Field, Qasemi noted.

On cooperation between Islamic Republic of Iran’s customs administration and oil industry over the past year, the minister expressed satisfaction with the process of clearance of oil industry’s goods and equipments.

Quickness in clearance of oil industry goods and equipments is one of the most issues in advancement of oil industry projects, Qasemi told reports.

Referring to startup of South Pars phases 22-24 and 13 in next year and launching phases 15 and 16 in current year, the minister said: All the oil industry capabilities have been mobilized to achieve the targets.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qasemi stated that 18 percent of the resources of National Development Fund had assigned to petroleum ministry. He continued oil industry projects will be introduced to agent banks for getting financial resources, of which development of shared oil and gas fields is a priority.

The status of shared oil and gas projects will be determined up to the end of current Iranian calendar year to March 2013, according to the official.  

On new round of sanctions against oil industry which are coming into force next week, Qasemi said: Sanctions belong to the past and are not new.