TEHRAN -- Head of the Energy Commission at Majlis Hossein Afarideh said here on Wednesday that high consumption of gasoline prompts enforcement of ration for this oil derivative.

Afarideh told IRNA that rationing of gasoline has a mere tranquilizing effect to check the excessive use of fuel.

He said his commission is to decide on Tuesday about market price for gasoline next year.

He added that implementation of purposeful fuel subsidy regime would offset problems with excessive use of gasoline and other oil derivatives.

Gasoline consumption has followed a sharp rise of nine percent since start of the year on March 21 compared to the figure in the match period the previous year.

Average gasoline consumption level hit over 50 million liters a day in the first six months of the year, reaching as high as 59.5 million liters a day in certain days of the Iranian month of Shahrivar (August 23-September 22).

In the first seven months of the year, 9.5 million liters of gasoline were imported a day, up by about 28 percent compared to that in the same period last year. The imports cost $400 million in the period under investigation.

Gasoline imports is expected to cost as much as one million dollars by end of the year on March 20, 2003.