Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who made the pledge in his speech during the opening ceremony of the 26th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition in Tehran, added, “Direct injection of money into a country’s economy leads to inflation, as we witness it today.”

He said, “We are convinced that underground resources do not belong to governments,” underlining that “they belong to present and future generations and therefore it is not a right way to sell crude oil and use its revenues for current expenditures.”

Gas Industry Development a Must

Statistics indicate that the demand for oil is on a downward trend while the demand for natural gas is growing, said Qalibaf, calling for the development of the country’s gas industry.

Selling crude oil is the main issue facing the country’s energy sector, reiterated the top lawmaker, calling for solving the problem by the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches.

“Iran’s oil industry is one of the driving forces of the Seventh Development Plan and can cause a major development in the country at the shortest time possible,” he vowed.

Sanctions have been imposed on Iran’s oil industry, but the gas sector has been excluded and the country has been exporting gas to Turkey and Iraq since the ban took effect, said the Parliament speaker, boasting that Iran, based on figures, is the largest holder of oil and gas on aggregate in the world and it is the time for making a strong decision.

The country’s energy trade is now based on crude oil, and not gas, regretted Qalibaf, adding that natural gas is of great significance for some reasons, including its capacity to circumvent the [U.S.] sanctions, and the country is required to change tack and use this clean fuel as a basis for trade.

Popularization ofٍ Economy in Energy Sector

The Parliament and the government are duty-bound to resort to a people-oriented economy, said Qalibaf, ruing, “We have excluded people from the economic system while we have to popularize the economy in our energy sector and close the door on the ugly phenomenon of opportunism in the country’s sick economy and direct liquidity toward production.

“We are about to draw up the Seventh Development Plan and there is no need to write some books, as we have to introduce two or three driving forces and move forward. We are required to correct our tendencies in an effort to skirt sanctions, stabilize revenues, and increase value-added. To this end, gas should be the basis for exports, as its sector is more stable than the oil one."

Dubbed Iran Oil Show 2022, the 26th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition kicked off during an opening ceremony at Tehran’s Permanent Fairground on Friday and will run through Monday, May 16.

The four-day exhibition are hosting 1,200 Iranian and 44 foreign companies or their agents.

Apart from domestic participants representing Iran, foreign companies are from Italy, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, South Africa, and Belgium.