Morteza Shahmirzai, speaking among reporters,
highlighted the emphasis on increasing production of goods and equipment
alongside petrochemical product output in the plans for the year 1403, which
began on March 20.
He underscored various strategies aimed at
fostering knowledge-based enterprises to propel the production of goods and
equipment, a pivotal aspect of the industry's advancement.
Shahmirzai emphasized the importance of domestic
sourcing for required goods to witness a substantial leap forward in domestic
production without compromising the production plan.
"In line with the Minister of Petroleum's
directives and government policies, the petrochemical industry will enter this
arena to produce gasoline from methanol instead of exporting it,"
Shahmirzai stated, addressing the need to address gasoline deficits amid
increasing demands.
He further elaborated on the readiness of
methanol plants to produce gasoline, revealing incentives and exemptions for
these units and the final stages of infrastructure planning and necessary
mechanisms for investing in gasoline production from methanol. This move comes
as the country's methanol production capacity is high, yet its product chain
remains underdeveloped.
The Deputy Petroleum Minister continued,
stressing the government's focused efforts on completing the value chain of
products and investment, particularly in the 13th government term.
Shahmirzai urged holdings such as Petro Farhang
and Shazand, possessing more methanol units, to allocate part of their capacity
to produce other chain products and plan accordingly. Additionally, PDH
projects are expected to commence soon, with investors seeking to enhance the
economic viability of such initiatives.
Furthermore, Shahmirzai disclosed that
approximately 127 petrochemical project permits have been officially issued,
with seventh development plan projects making an average of 37% progress.
He concluded by stating the fundamental strategy
of the 13th government term is to complete the value chain to avoid raw sales
and generate added value from hydrocarbon resources.
He noted the revocation of approximately 17
petrochemical project permits following reviews and their replacement with
value chain completion projects.
Moreover, 21 value chain completion projects have
been communicated to holdings, with necessary permits issued, indicating the
serious pursuit of their implementation.