TEHRAN (PIN) – National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) was the sole company in the industry that had been excluded from the privatization plan, said the Article 44 Special Commission vice chairman here Sunday.

In an exclusive interview with PIN, Adel Azar added, “Based on Article 44 of the Constitution, the NIOC is included in “Note C” and the government is not authorized to offer its management to the nongovernmental sector.”
He said the privatization of other affiliates of oil industry was obligatory according to the article and there was no legal prohibition in this regard.
Majlis (Iranian parliament) put the article on agenda in its sessions as of yesterday and will discuss it for two weeks.
According to the Fourth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2005-2010), the Irabian Privatization Organization affiliated to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance is in charge of setting prices and ceding shares to the general public and on the stock market