The Television News Archive spans more than 16.7 billion spoken characters of non-English news broadcasts from across the world spanning the past quarter-century in more than 150 known languages and dialects. Translating this vast archive through Google Translate would cost around $1.4M and would yield the less-fluent translations that are a hallmark of classical NMT. Critically, Google Translate requires the input text to be monolingual, whereas television news broadcasts from around the world are often highly multilingual, while Translate also struggles with the oddities of LSM ASR output and the inconsistencies and grammatical violations of the stream-of-consciousness speech and rapid-fire overtalking that often characterizes television journalism. Instead, what if we used LLMs to translate the Archive? Gemini 2.5 Pro Thinking would cost $293K, Gemini 2.5 Flash Thinking would cost $61K, Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking would cost just $12K, Gemini 2.0 Flash would cost $8K and Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite would cost just $6K, while Gemma 3 27B can be self-hosted. Here we compare the results from the 7 models on a sample 30-minute Persian and similar Russian-language broadcast to see how their results stack up.

As expected, the 7 models yield extremely similar results, with the more advanced models offering more fluent and understandable translations. No hallucination is immediately identified in the results from quick manual spot checking, though Gemini and Gemma models frequently exceed their instructions to reformat and add speaker identification information and other notes (though these could be addressed through additional prompt instructions). Gemma also truncates one of the translations. In all, the results here suggest that with appropriate prompting, Gemini and Gemma offer strong alternatives to Google Translate, yielding far more fluent results, though with further work required to determine the density of hallucination and coherence breakout when deployed at scale.

As a quick evaluation, here is the last paragraph of the Persian-language broadcast as translated by each of the models:

• Original Chirp 1 ASR: دکتر الان شما به مردم بگید نظارت عمومی بکنن با توجه به تجارب گذشته شرایط موجود واقعاً چقر عملیاتیه این حرف. در واقع من میگم که این شاخصه ها کمک می کنه هم به ناظر هم به عموم مردم که من به مردم باشه که الان وقتی می شما بگید آقا ۲۰ میلیون لیتر درست میگم اون چیزی که الان اسمش حالا خیلی مطرح شده قاچاق سوخت داریم و به هر حال هدر رفت داریم و اینها خب اگر به مردم باشه که همین امروز از خداشون مشکل حل بشه واقعاً فکر نمیکنم مردم الان دیگه اون توانی رو داشته باشن یا اون ظرفیتبراشون فراهم باشه اون بستر فراهم باشه که بخوان بیان پای کار و الا مردم که از خداشونه که تا این مسئله حل شده خب انتظارات از نمایندگان مجلس که با خود مردم در ارتباطن و سازمان های نظارتی اینه که ما در واقع توقعات و انتظارات مونو مشخصاً بیان کنیم وقتی این انتظارات الزام قانونی داشته باشه راحتتر هم می شود پیگیری کرد یعنی الان نماینده مجلسی که ممکنه تو تریبون مجلس در مورد جزئی ترین مائل اصار نظر کنه الان شاخصه هایی دستشه یعنی در مورد عملکرد حوزه بهینه سازی کامل می تونه بگه که شما ۹ شما منظورتون آقای دکتر اینه که همه بیان پای کار که این به یک دقدقه اجتماعی تریج ایجاد بشود ولی الان بستر قانونیه وجود داره حالا من بند دوم ماده ۴۶ رو هم بگم که عملاً گفته که برنامه جامع تامین و تخصیص عامل های انرژی ظرف ۶ سال ۶ ماه باید ابلاغ بشه که اینم باز ترک فعل انجام شده و الاغ نشده و باز با جزئیات بهتر جزء دومش گفته سهمیه اعتبار نفت گاز صرفاً در جایگاه مستقر در مسیر مرتعد با بارنامه الکترونیک مبنی بر مسافت و عملکرد مورد تأیید وزارت راه و کشور تخصیص یابد.
• Gemini 2.5 Pro: Mr. Seifi: Dr. Hasanvand, if you tell the people now to exercise public oversight, given past experiences and the current situation, how practical is this, really? Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: In fact, I'm saying that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. If it's up to the people, now when you say, "Sir, 20 million liters," am I right? That thing that is now being called fuel smuggling and waste and all that. Well, if it were up to the people, they would love for this problem to be solved today. I really don't think people now have the capacity or the platform available for them to come and get involved. Otherwise, the people would be thrilled for this problem to be solved. Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: Well, the expectation from Majlis representatives, who are in contact with the people themselves, and from supervisory organizations is that we state our expectations and demands specifically. When these expectations have a legal requirement, they can be pursued more easily. Meaning, now a Majlis representative who might express an opinion on the most minor issues from the Majlis podium now has indicators in hand. Meaning, regarding the performance of the optimization sector, he can completely say that you… Mr. Seifi: Dr. Hasanvand, are you saying that everyone should get involved so that this becomes a broader social concern? Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: But the legal framework already exists. Let me also mention the second clause of Article 46, which effectively states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy carriers must be issued within six months. This, too, has been a dereliction of duty and has not been issued. And with even better details, its second part says: "The diesel fuel quota should only be allocated at stations located on the relevant route with an electronic waybill, based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the Ministry of Interior."
• Gemini 2.5 Flash Thinking: Dr., now you tell the people to perform public oversight, given past experiences and the current situation, how realistic is this statement? In fact, I'm saying that these indicators help both the overseer and the general public. So, if it's up to the people… when you say, 'We have 20 million liters,' am I right? That thing that is now highly discussed, fuel smuggling, and in any case, we have waste and so on. Well, if it were up to the people, they would certainly want the problem solved today. I really don't think people currently have the energy or the capacity available, the platform available, to want to come forward. Otherwise, people would certainly want this issue to be resolved. Well, the expectations from Members of Parliament who are directly in contact with the people, and from oversight organizations, is that we actually state our expectations specifically. When these expectations have a legal requirement, it's easier to follow up. That is, a Member of Parliament who might express an opinion on the most minor issues in the parliamentary tribune now has indicators at hand. Meaning, regarding the performance of the optimization sector, they can fully say that you… You mean, Dr., that everyone should come to the forefront so that this becomes a social concern? But now the legal framework exists. Now let me also state the second clause of Article 46, which practically states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy agents must be promulgated within six months, which again has been neglected and not promulgated. And again, with better details, its second sub-clause states that the quota for gas oil credits shall only be allocated at stations located on the determined route with an electronic waybill based on distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and the Ministry of Interior.
• Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking: Dr., now tell the people to exercise public oversight. Given past experiences and the current situation, how practical is this really? In fact, I mean that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. If I were to tell the people now, "Look, 20 million liters, am I right? What is now widely known as fuel smuggling, and in any case, we have waste and so on." Well, if it were up to the people, they would want the problem to be solved today. I really don't think people now have the ability or the capacity or the platform to come forward, otherwise, people would want this issue to be resolved. Well, the expectations from members of parliament who are in contact with the people themselves and the supervisory organizations is that we should clearly state our expectations and demands. When these expectations have a legal obligation, it is easier to follow up. That is, now a member of parliament who might express an opinion on the most detailed issues on the parliament's rostrum now has indicators in hand, meaning he can fully say about the performance of the optimization sector that you… Dr., your point is that everyone should come forward so that this becomes a social concern, but now there is a legal framework. Now, let me also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which actually states that the comprehensive energy supply and allocation program must be approved within six years and six months, which has also been neglected and not approved. And again, with better details, its second part states that the diesel credit quota should only be allocated at stations located on routes connected by electronic bills of lading based on distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the Interior.
• Gemini 2.0 Flash: Dr., now tell the people to supervise publicly, considering the past experiences and the existing conditions, how operational is this word really? In fact, I am saying that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public, that I should be public, that now when you tell me, Mr., 20 million liters, am I saying correctly, the thing that is now named a lot, fuel smuggling, and by any means we have waste and these things, well, if it is up to the people, they are from God that the problem should be solved today. I really do not think that people have that ability now or that capacity is provided for them, that platform is provided for them to want to come to work. Otherwise, the people are from God that this issue should be solved. Well, the expectations from the members of the Parliament who are in contact with the people and the supervisory organizations are that we should express our expectations and expectations specifically. When these expectations have legal obligation, it becomes easier to follow up, meaning now the member of the Parliament who may express his opinion on the most minor issues in the tribune of the Parliament now has indicators in his hands, meaning in the case of the performance of the optimization area, he can fully say that you 9, you do your thing. What do you mean, Dr., by everyone coming to work so that this creates a more social concern, but now the legal platform exists. Now, I will also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which has actually said that the comprehensive program for supplying and allocating energy agents should be announced within 6 years, 6 months, which is again a dereliction of duty and has not been announced. And again, with better details, the second part says that the quota for oil gas should only be allocated in a station located on the route with a electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the country.
• Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite: In the next step, and section B, public oversight, Mr. Dr., now, you tell the people to do public oversight, given the past experiences, the current conditions. How practical is this statement? In fact, I say that these indicators help both the observer and the general public, to the people, that now, when you say, "Oh, 20 million liters," I am right. What is now called, now, a lot is the smuggling of fuel and, in any case, waste, and these things. Well, if it is up to the people, that they are happy to solve the problem today, I really don't think that people now have that ability or that capacity is provided for them, that they want to come to work, and otherwise, the people are happy that this issue is solved. Well, the expectations from the members of parliament, who are in contact with the people themselves, and the supervisory organizations, are that we should express our expectations and desires specifically. When these expectations have legal requirements, it is easier to follow up. That is, a member of parliament who may express an opinion on the smallest matters in the parliament now has indicators at hand, meaning that he can completely say about the performance of the optimization sector. You mean, Mr. Dr., that everyone should come to work, so that this is created, so that it becomes a bigger social concern. But now, there is a legal platform. Now, let me also mention section two of Article 46, which in practice states that the comprehensive program for the supply and allocation of energy factors should be announced within 6 years, 6 months, which has also been a default and has not been announced and again, in more detail, the second part states that the fuel allowance is only allocated at stations located on the route, with an electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the country.
• Gemma 3 27B (Original Transcript Truncated So Re-Translated Here): “Doctor, now tell the people to do public oversight. Considering past experiences, how practical is this statement given the current conditions? Actually, I’m saying that these indicators can help both the supervisors and the general public. If it’s put to the people – if you tell them, ‘Okay, 20 million liters are correct’ – regarding what’s now heavily discussed, the fuel smuggling we have, and the waste, and so on. If it’s up to the people, their problems would be solved today. I really don’t think people currently have the ability or the capacity, or the environment is prepared, for them to come forward and get involved. Otherwise, people are praying for this issue to be resolved. Expectations from the members of parliament, who are in direct contact with the people, and from the oversight organizations, is that we clearly state our expectations. When these expectations have a legal basis, it becomes easier to follow up. So, a member of parliament who might criticize the smallest detail on the parliament floor now has indicators in their hands. They can specifically talk about the performance of the optimization sector. Are you saying, Doctor, that everyone should get involved, and this will create a broader social concern? But the legal framework exists. Let me also mention section two of Article 46, which practically states that a comprehensive plan for supplying and allocating energy carriers must be announced within six years and six months – and this has also been a failure to act, it hasn’t been done. And it goes into more detail in the second part, stating that the quota of credit for oil and gas should only be allocated to established stations along grazing routes with an electronic consignment note based on distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the Ministry of Interior.”
• Google Translate: In the next step, and regarding public supervision, Mr. Doctor, now you tell the people to conduct public supervision. Considering past experiences, the current conditions are really operational. In fact, I say that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. I mean the people. Now, when you say, sir, 20 million liters, I am right. What is being talked about a lot right now is fuel smuggling. And anyway, we have waste. And all of this. Well, if it were up to the people, if the problem were solved today, I really don't think that the people would have that ability or that capacity, that platform would be available for them to express their work. Otherwise, the people, who are God-fearing, have solved this issue. So, the expectations from the members of parliament, who are in contact with the people themselves and the supervisory organizations, are that we actually express our expectations clearly. When these expectations are legally binding, it will be easier to follow up. That is, now a member of parliament who may comment on the most minor issues in the parliament, now has indicators, that is, about the performance of the field of complete optimization, he can say that you nine of you, what you mean, Mr. Doctor, is that everyone should express their work. This can be done in a social moment, but now there is a legal platform. Now I will also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which practically states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy factors must be announced within 6 years and 6 months. This is again a done deal, not a done deal. And again, in better detail, the second part states that the oil and gas credit quota should be allocated only at the station located on the route with an electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and Interior.

And the last paragraph translations of the Russian broadcast for comparison:

• Original Chirp 1 ASR: О российско-украинских переговорах в Стамбуле пишет газета New York Times. Итоги этой встречи буквально выводит из себя европейскую элиту. Германия. и Британия начали запугивать европейцев войной с нашей страной, но столкнулись с проблемами, вот с какими об этом расскажет Мария Скородилка. Пока Россия пытается урегулировать ситуацию на Украине, разговаривая с делегацией из незалежной в Стамбуле, глава Киевского режима нагнетает, обиляет ВСУ, которые давно перешли к открытому терроризму. Зеленский в окружении всех тех, кто годами лишьмашет перед ним морковкой, обещая членство.
• Gemini 2.5 Pro: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."
• Gemini 2.5 Flash Thinking: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."
• Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."
• Gemini 2.0 Flash: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."
• Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany. and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with war with our country, but they ran into problems, what kind of problems, Maria Skorodilkova will tell about this. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine by talking with a delegation from the independent state in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating, inflating the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have long since turned to open terrorism. Zelensky, surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership.
• Gemma 3 27B: About the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, the New York Times writes. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they ran into problems, here's what Maria Skorodilka will tell us about. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine by talking to a delegation from the independent country in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating, supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky, surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership…"
• Google Translate: The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally drive the European elite crazy. Germany. and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they encountered problems, and here are some of the ones Maria Skorodilka will talk about. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking to a delegation from the independent state in Istanbul, the head of the Kiev regime is whipping up tensions, harassing the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which have long since moved on to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership.

Now let's take a look at the entire translated transcript. Let's start with the Chirp 1 ASR transcript of this Persian-language broadcast. We'll use the following prompt with all models:

You are a professional translator. Below is a television news transcript in one or more languages. Your job is to translate it into English. Translate this television news transcript into English and make it as close to the meaning of the original text as possible.

TELEVISION NEWS TRANSCRIPT:

Gemini 2.5 Pro goes beyond the instructions and formats the transcript into a post-edited style transcript, complete with assigning speakers to each statement:

This is a professional translation of the provided television news transcript.

TELEVISION NEWS TRANSCRIPT – ENGLISH TRANSLATION

[Start of Transcript]

Anchor 1: …of our country will be the world competitions in Japan, which will be held in Shahrivar [late August-late September]. Mehdi Ziaei, IRIB News Agency. Thank you for your viewership, dear viewers. Today is Tuesday, the 13th of Khordad, the 7th of Dhu al-Hijjah, June 3rd. I would like to inform you that in Tehran, sunset will be at 19:16 [7:16 PM], Maghrib [evening prayer] time at 19:37 [7:37 PM], and astronomical midnight tonight will be at 23:10 [11:10 PM]. Thank you very much for being with us. I invite you to watch the Economics Desk, hosted by my colleague, Mr. Seifi. Please, go ahead.

Anchor 2 (Mr. Seifi): Thank you, Ms. Khalaji. And greetings and good day to you, our dear viewers. Welcome to the Economics Desk program. If you are interested in today's discussion, which is about the country's energy governance, please join us on the Khabar Network.

Greetings and hello again to you, our dear and esteemed viewers. As was announced in the 14:00 news headlines, today on the Economics Desk, we intend to discuss three vital pillars in the field of our country's energy governance with our guests. First, the Sepahtan and Sipat systems, which are aimed at creating transparency. Second, the hidden energy subsidies, which consume more than 3,500 trillion tomans of the country's resources annually. And third, Article 46 of the 7th Development Plan, which promised the establishment of smart energy governance.

Unfortunately, months after the approval of these plans, no tangible output has been seen from these systems, and the question has arisen for everyone: has the time not come to modernize our country's energy management through precise institutionalization? We intend to discuss the issues I mentioned with our guests.

Here in the studio, we are joined by Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand, a respected expert in energy economics, and also Mr. Abouzar Yousefi, the respected Head of Customer Relations for the Smart Fuel System. Other guests will also be joining us in person, online, and by phone.

Mr. Hasanvand, greetings, my respects, and welcome once again.

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: Thank you for the time you have given me, and I extend my greetings to the dear viewers.

Mr. Seifi: Greetings to you. Mr. Yousefi, a very warm welcome.

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: Greetings. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I offer my greetings to you, our capable host, and also greetings to all our dear compatriots who are watching and listening to us and following this program.

Mr. Seifi: Greetings to you. Mr. Yousefi, let's start with you. Currently, when we review reports, news, and messages from our fellow citizens in the energy sector, many of them complain about the lack of coordination between fuel cards and actual consumption. Given your position, does your system have a response to this criticism, or have you made any specific reforms or taken any action in this regard?

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: Yes. First, it is appropriate for me to explain the process that takes place for a fleet's smart fuel card to be charged and for the fleet owner or operator to be able to use it. This will create transparency so that our compatriots know what happens. The allocation of quotas for gasoline- and diesel-powered fleets happens through a process involving various stakeholders and authorities who are responsible for gathering the necessary fleet information and performance data. Based on that, a verification takes place. After verification, they send it to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), and we charge the fleet's smart fuel card.

This process occurs in both inter-city and intra-city domains. This means there are two main authorities: one for inter-city and the other for intra-city. The main authority for the inter-city domain is the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization. For the intra-city domain, it is the Municipalities and Village Administrations Organization. These two main authorities, based on specific timeframes and periods that we agreed upon in a working group, collect the fleet data. Based on that information, they report it to the NIOPDC during specified periods, and the NIOPDC, acting solely as the entity that deposits the declared performance amount into the profile and smart fuel card of the fleet, carries out this action, which is based on a specific schedule.

Mr. Seifi: Okay, can you now tell us how many of the stations—both Sepahtan and Sipat—are currently connected to the fuel stations? Yes, what percentage of them are now connected?

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: Look, a cabinet decree in 2014, another decree in 2023, and the 7th Development Plan law were all legislations that moved towards implementing a mileage-based plan. They made this plan more transparent, and what is supposed to happen for the fleet is based on performance—a performance that, as declared in 2014, is based on transport documents and GPS. That is, both of these must be present together for performance to be ascertained.

So, since 2014, this has been a duty that the two authorities were supposed to carry out. Although they were assessing performance based on transport documents, they were also supposed to equip fleets with GPS. Now, in 2019, the Economic Council issued a decree for the Road Maintenance Organization regarding the inter-city domain, stating that it must implement the GPS system designed for inter-city transport, known as the Sepahtan system. Yes, initially, the equipment and the system had to be designed and installed on the fleet, and based on the data extracted, it would be sent to the NIOPDC for allocation to take place.

I should also mention parenthetically that the Sepahtan system may not be just for fleet or fuel performance; it might have other functions with different purposes and various stakeholders. Each of these stakeholders can use it according to their own mission. So, in the fuel domain, this was a duty that had to be performed.

Mr. Seifi: So, as we speak today, how many of our stations are connected to these systems?

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: The relevant data based on the Sepahtan system has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company to date. This means we are still allocating fuel based on transport documents, as per the 2014 cabinet decree, and this is also done in aggregate and based on specific periods.

Mr. Seifi: Mr. Hasanvand, Dr. Hasanvand, to this day, about five or six years have passed, and at least in the last year, we have repeatedly addressed these issues in various programs. We made it our duty, and the managers of this network have repeatedly planned for and executed various programs on this topic, yet this trend continues. What we gather is that, still, the necessary seriousness is absent. At least in this period, we haven't seen any specific development. Before we get into the discussion of what the real reason for this situation is, please tell us: if these Sipat and Sepahtan systems are not implemented, first, how much excess fuel consumption, or what we might call smuggling or mismanagement, do we have per year?

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: To answer this question, let's consider four indicators. First is the global performance standard. The next is the experience we had in 2009 with the subsidy reform. The third indicator I'll use is expert opinions, and the last compass or indicator that can help us is the 7th Development Plan and the goals set within it.

When I search the internet, the average consumption of the global road transport fleet is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes, and estimates show that in Iran, this figure is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, part of this is due to the old age of the fleet, and part may be due to fleets running empty on their return trips, but a major part is due to the lack of this system and the absence of monitoring of fuel consumption. This fuel is not contributing to the gross national product, and this ultimately leads to an increase in energy intensity. Meaning, we are giving energy, fuel, and diesel to our fleet and industry, but we are not getting the GDP in return that matches the global average. That's the first indicator.

The second indicator is our experience in 2009. By just implementing the fuel card, without any price adjustment, we completely controlled consumption. Consumption, which was at 75 million liters for gasoline and similarly for diesel, was heading towards 90 million liters. The estimates were that if the fuel card was not implemented and that subsidy reform had not taken place, today, in the gasoline sector alone, we would have had a consumption of about 180 million liters. Yes. In just two years, first with the implementation of the fuel card and then with a pricing policy, the figure of around 75 million liters per day dropped to about 60 million liters. Not only was it controlled, but it was reduced by 15%. We can apply this same logic to the 65 million liters of diesel we currently consume. We could save something around 3 or 4 billion dollars here.

The next point is expert opinions. In various departments, different individuals at the NIOPDC, their managers, estimate that they can achieve a 15 to 20 million liter reduction in consumption by implementing these systems, which again is equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars a year.

Mr. Seifi: Twenty million liters…

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: Million liters, yes, per day. If they implement it daily, consumption can be managed. Our consumption in the transport sector for diesel is about 65 million liters per day. For gasoline, it's over… [inaudible] …the transport sector and optimizing the transport sector… I looked at that number as well. If we consider diesel at, say, 30 to 50 cents per liter, that again amounts to between 5 to 7 billion dollars a year in savings that can be achieved in consumption optimization.

If I were to consider the equivalent in oil production—this is an indicator that is included in Table 10 of the 7th Development Plan, which claims that in the transport sector, after 4 years, we want to achieve 240,000 barrels of optimization and consumption reduction—if we wanted to invest this in upstream development of fields, it would require approximately 6 billion dollars of investment to be able to add such production to the country's output. Whereas here, with systems that in total might not even cost a few million dollars to establish and mostly require political will, cooperation, and synergy, you can achieve that cost reduction and increase national wealth.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Hasanvand, you're saying that if this system is connected, we will have management, many experts believe it will solve the [energy] imbalance, we can even become an exporter, and a whole host of issues and problems will be solved. But we have been chanting this slogan and having these conversations for years. We've talked about it in various programs, but it doesn't happen. What do you think is the main reason for this?

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: We need to look at this from a governance perspective. When we make a law, it has three stages. One is legislating, which we do in the Majlis [Parliament]. The second stage is the execution of the law, where the government implements the law. The third stage, which is widely practiced in foreign countries, is the enforcement of the law. I'll give you an example. Abroad, if you run a red light, there is a law that you must be fined, and you are fined. But the difference between us and foreigners in this matter is that when you are fined abroad, after one month, it is withdrawn from your account. You have one month to appeal, and after it's confirmed, the fine is collected without them having to ask you. Ultimately, the driver concludes that if I don't obey the law, I will be fined. It's about law enforcement.

Now, for years, in the fifth, sixth, and seventh development plans, we have been obligating the government to do something. We have the organizations and good laws, but not in the implementation… we no longer have the indicators and supervision. In the area where the Majlis, one of its main duties is to oversee the implementation of laws… When we say the sixth development plan reached only 10% of its goals, the Majlis should have been closely monitoring the institutions throughout the implementation of the plan. Later in the discussion, I will mention which institutions in this field had their duties specified after a year, and this is explicitly stated. Well, after a year, when that organization has not implemented it, it must be monitored, reprimanded, and the root cause must be examined to see why it wasn't done. Unfortunately, we pass a law, issue it, look for its implementation, and then we abandon it. We don't follow up properly. We have this dereliction of duty in both the government and the Majlis.

Mr. Seifi: Yes, when the issue becomes one of governance, all components of governance are influential. Mr. Yousefi, let me return to the previous question. Given the objectives of Sipat, what portion of our fuel stations are connected to this system? Can you give us a percentage or a number?

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: Correct. Let me make a point regarding the fact that these systems cannot be installed at the stations; they must be on the vehicles. The equipment is installed in the fleet, and the data extracted from Sipat and Sepahtan is sent to us, which enables fuel withdrawal at the station and the capability… currently, no data is coming to us. This means those two responsible authorities are not sending us the data related to the GPS systems. According to the law, they are supposed to do this.

One issue that Dr. Hasanvand just mentioned, and I'll continue on it from a different angle, is the issue of enforcement guarantees. Perhaps even if there is supervision, we have rarely seen in the law an enforcement guarantee with strong backing to follow through. If an organization or authority doesn't do this, what happens to it? You have gone to the trouble of arranging various sessions and programs, we have come and had discussions, and part of it is about synergy between organizations. Organizations must, based on the duties assigned to them by higher authorities, certainly share data with each other. This is not happening. Currently, perhaps in the inter-city or even intra-city fleet sector, some vehicles are equipped with these systems. Why is their data not coming through? Where is the problem? Or the part where two authorities are supposed to send it to you…

Mr. Seifi: Yes, certainly the two authorities must review and verify the data and send it to us based on that data.

Mr. Abouzar Yousefi: Meaning, if we don't have their data, then the performance, which the cabinet decree itself declared must be simultaneous, doesn't happen. It's solely based on performance that now, based on transport documents, for example, a bill of lading or a status report, can be named. In the intra-city domain, it happens based on intra-city transport documents as well.

Mr. Seifi: Very well. Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei, a member of the Majlis Energy Commission, is with us by phone. Dr. Nakhaei, hello and good day to you.

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei (by phone): Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I also extend my greetings and good day to you, the program's guests, and the great nation of Iran.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, I think in the past month, maybe the last 30-40 days, we've had you on at least three times regarding this very issue of fuel management systems. But Dr. Nakhaei, I don't know how long we have to continue this. IRIB [state broadcasting] is doing its duty. It has put this on its agenda and is pursuing it. It keeps pursuing it, but no significant progress is being made. Perhaps one of the areas that, frankly, must get seriously involved is the Majlis. Dr. Hasanvand just mentioned, for example, that two responsible authorities are not sending the data and information they are supposed to. Executive oversight is not visible for them, and naturally, people tell their representatives in the Majlis and demand that their representative pursue this to get it implemented. Let's hear your response.

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: Well, first, I thank you and the IRIB organization, which has truly had a very good and serious engagement on various energy issues, especially this Sepahtan matter. Let me say that the part of the work that is the responsibility of the Majlis, if we want to refer to the legislative part, well, the Islamic Consultative Assembly [Majlis], in my opinion, has done a good job in this part. It has both set the legal duty for Sepahtan and for online waybills in the 7th Development Plan law. However, in confirmation of your remarks, I think that we, at least in the supervisory area, need to follow up on the issue with more seriousness. Of course, as far as I know, the Article 90 Commission has held meetings on this matter, and since it is a cross-sectoral issue, meaning it relates to various commissions, naturally both the Development Commission and we in the Energy Commission, from the perspective of reducing fuel smuggling, should have had more precise supervision. We do have plans, however, to hold meetings on this and, God willing, to get a report from the executive bodies in the future. Nevertheless, I think that in the legislative part, both in terms of setting the course and the legal duty, the Majlis did well. Also, it has sort of provided the basis for its implementation with the optimization market, so that resources can be generated from fuel savings, allowing our friends to operationalize and implement this better.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, one issue is legislation, which you say the Majlis has fulfilled its duty on. But right now, many experts, including Mr. Hasanvand just now, have pointed out that our laws lack the necessary enforcement guarantees. Meaning, we don't have laws that specify what happens if a responsible body fails to perform its duties. The supervisory aspect aside, but if a certain body doesn't do its job, and years have passed since the plan was made, nothing significant happens, no matter how much everyone is shouting that the public treasury and national interests are being wasted. Your laws don't have the necessary enforcement guarantees. What is your opinion?

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: Mr. Seifi, I think that for us to stipulate a criminal penalty for every clause of a law is perhaps not really befitting of a legislative system. When an action is assigned as a duty to an executive body and an official, supervisory bodies like the General Inspection Office and the Supreme Audit Court can intervene from the angle of dereliction of duty. The crime for that is already stipulated in the law. Meaning, if an action was defined and an official for whatever reason did not perform that action, that is, they committed a dereliction of duty, a punishment has been prescribed for dereliction of duty in the law. And I think we don't have much of a legal vacuum in this regard. To explicitly state it in the law, in my opinion, is not very appropriate that we…

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, I think, with all due respect, we are past these words. When billions of liters are being wasted per day, per month, per year from our national interests, from the public treasury, and we are facing this imbalance and these problems, I think the approach needs to be corrected and become somewhat more serious.

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: I have a suggestion, Mr. Seifi. Since I see you are following this Sepahtan program very well, IRIB has so far invited the Majlis, the traffic police, the NIOPDC, the Road Maintenance Organization—the relevant executive bodies. I think you should also invite the supervisory bodies one time. I mean, see, the General Inspection Office, after all, an action like this has been defined. Why are they not taking action for the dereliction of duty? It wouldn't be bad for the supervisory body itself to come and be held accountable.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, we have both followed up and invited them, but the question is, why doesn't the Majlis intervene?

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: I believe the Majlis has intervened. Look, the 7th plan is about a year old, and naturally, we also understand that a big issue like online waybills or Sepahtan is perhaps not something that can be implemented in a matter of months. We naturally have numerous problems in implementation. Inter-agency coordination, especially here, as I mentioned in that other program, in cases where implementation requires the coordination of several agencies, we always run into challenges. We always have problems with teamwork, unfortunately. Our supervision is more from the aspect of cooperation rather than confrontation and punishment. Meaning, we hold a meeting, identify the lack of coordination, and give time for the agencies to go and create the necessary coordination among themselves. We facilitate the path of implementation. Now, these meetings have been held. Mr. Yousefi probably told you. As far as I know, I said, the Article 90 Commission has held meetings, and the Development Commission similarly. The part that relates to fuel smuggling, which we in the Energy Commission must follow up on, is a very important issue. You see, nearly 50% of our diesel, or gasoil, that is distributed in the country is in the transport sector. That's nearly 60 million liters. And this 60 million liters per day of diesel distribution in the transport sector, if online waybills are operationalized, well, it can help a lot in savings.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, you mentioned the Development Commission, the Energy Commission, and the Article 90 Commission. So, there is a need for synergy among commissions in the Majlis, and a need for synergy among agencies in the government. But Dr. Nakhaei, right now, the people, our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program—and at least one or two IRIB programs per week are dedicated to this topic, live talk shows in addition to reports—I really don't think there has ever been a period where IRIB has so strongly stood by the country's high-level documents and system of priorities to seriously pursue these issues. But we are putting in all our effort, and we see no reaction. In the end, we don't know what to do. Who will finally step up and give this story a push?

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: Now, since I didn't have the chance to watch the program today… what is the latest statistic that our friends in the Road Maintenance Organization and the police have given? Are they giving the information to the NIOPDC or not?

Mr. Seifi: No, unfortunately not, Dr. Nakhaei. That is precisely the point. Why doesn't the Majlis summon these gentlemen and say, "Why aren't you fulfilling your legal duty?" And Dr. Nakhaei, you say a year has passed. We're talking since 2019, that's five or six years ago. Everyone is still following up, and nothing is happening. This is calling our entire management system into question. An issue… and naturally those who, anyway…

Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei: And I think that, unfortunately, it is this same lack of coordination and the fact that there is no determination and will in these executive bodies, unfortunately. I also accept that a part of the problem lies with the Majlis. We must exercise more supervision. We must pursue this matter more. And certainly, God willing, it will be on the agenda. But really, in my opinion, the supervisory bodies also need to be more… yes, certainly. We will try, God willing, to be at your service.

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Nakhaei, if possible, please stay with us. I have a few more questions for you later. Mr. Hasanvand, as I said, the situation is that nothing is happening. Despite us repeatedly pushing from the Majlis and the government, a lot of follow-up has been done. I emphasize again, there has never been a time in the history of IRIB that it has come to stand by high-level documents and the country's system of priorities, putting things that are related to people's interests on the table and pursuing them so seriously. But right now, I'm saying it transparently, some agencies, which unfortunately do not cooperate, no matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should be done? In the end, as an expert who has certainly studied other countries, researched them, and sees the trend, what do you think we should do so that we can at least pursue it?

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: They usually try to use public oversight in a governance system. Meaning, the performance of organizations or that program's commitment should be so transparently clear that even an ordinary person can assess the performance of the government, the president, organizations, and ministries. It's not like that now. Currently, the 7th plan that we have before us is a truly precise and coherent plan. If I just give an example for this very case, it's completely clear. Look, we wanted to implement Sepahtan. In Article 46, Clause A, we declared that the "Strategic Energy Optimization Management Organization"—the name is difficult, we have to repeat it—should be established within 3 months from the merger of 3 currently existing organizations, and its charter should be issued. A series of activities had to be carried out. Meaning, in Khordad of last year [May-June 2023] when the 7th plan was announced, the expectation was that the government would issue the charter by Shahrivar [September 2023]. This was not done. It took a year, and this charter was recently issued, with its own problems. But alongside it, the merger of the Fuel Conservation Organization, the Energy Conservation and Efficiency Organization, and the Fuel Management Headquarters has not been done. Meaning, we still have them running in parallel. Therefore, an expert like me or even ordinary people can understand that the government has committed a dereliction of duty in this case. So, public oversight can be used. In the next step and in Clause B…

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Hasanvand, if you tell the people now to exercise public oversight, given past experiences and the current situation, how practical is this, really?

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: In fact, I'm saying that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. If it's up to the people, now when you say, "Sir, 20 million liters," am I right? That thing that is now being called fuel smuggling and waste and all that. Well, if it were up to the people, they would love for this problem to be solved today. I really don't think people now have the capacity or the platform available for them to come and get involved. Otherwise, the people would be thrilled for this problem to be solved.

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: Well, the expectation from Majlis representatives, who are in contact with the people themselves, and from supervisory organizations is that we state our expectations and demands specifically. When these expectations have a legal requirement, they can be pursued more easily. Meaning, now a Majlis representative who might express an opinion on the most minor issues from the Majlis podium now has indicators in hand. Meaning, regarding the performance of the optimization sector, he can completely say that you…

Mr. Seifi: Dr. Hasanvand, are you saying that everyone should get involved so that this becomes a broader social concern?

Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand: But the legal framework already exists. Let me also mention the second clause of Article 46, which effectively states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy carriers must be issued within six months. This, too, has been a dereliction of duty and has not been issued. And with even better details, its second part says: "The diesel fuel quota should only be allocated at stations located on the relevant route with an electronic waybill, based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the Ministry of Interior."

[End of Transcript]

Gemini 2.5 Flash Thinking:

TELEVISION NEWS TRANSCRIPT – ENGLISH TRANSLATION

This country's athletes will compete in the global competitions in Japan, which will be held in Shahrivar (August/September).

Mehdi Ziai, IRIB News Agency. Thank you for your viewership, dear audience. Today is Tuesday, the 13th of Khordad, the 7th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 3rd of June. I would like to inform you that in Tehran, sunset will be at 19:16, the Maghrib prayer (evening prayer call) at 19:37, and midnight in the city tonight will be at 23:10. Thank you very much for being with us. I invite you to watch "Economy Desk" presented by my colleague, Mr. Seifi. Please, go ahead.

Hello and thank you, Ms. Khalaji, and a warm welcome to you, dear viewers, to the "Economy Desk" program. Today, if you are interested in today's discussion, which is about the country's energy governance, please stay with us on Khabar Network (News Channel). Greetings and renewed salutations to you, dear and esteemed viewers. As you were informed in the 14:00 news headlines, today on "Economy Desk," we intend to discuss three vital areas in the country's energy governance with our guests. First, the Sepahtan and Sipat systems, which aim for transparency… (rephrasing for emphasis) …first, the Sepahtan and Sipat systems, which aim for transparency. Secondly, hidden energy subsidies, which annually consume over 3,500 thousand billion Tomans of the country's resources. And thirdly, Article 46 of the Seventh Development Plan, which promised the creation of smart energy governance. Unfortunately, months after these programs were planned, no tangible output from these systems has been observed, and the question has arisen for everyone: Is it not time to update our country's energy management through precise institutionalization? We intend to discuss the aforementioned issues with our guests. In the studio, we have Dr. Mehdi Hasanvand, a respected energy economics expert, and also Mr. Abuzar Yousefi, the esteemed Head of Customer Relations for the Smart Fuel System. Other guests will also join us in person, online, and via phone. Mr. Hasanvand, greetings, respect, and welcome back to you. I thank you for the time you have given me and extend my greetings to the dear viewers. Bless you. Mr. Yousefi, a very warm welcome to you. Greetings. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I extend my greetings to you, the capable host, and also to all dear compatriots who are watching and following our program. Bless you.

Mr. Yousefi, let's start with you. Currently, when we review the reports, news, and messages from our compatriots in the energy sector, many complain about the lack of coordination between fuel cards and actual consumption. Given your position, does your system have a response to this criticism, or have you undertaken any specific reforms or actions in this regard?

Yes, first, it's appropriate for me to explain the process that actually occurs until a smart fuel card for a fleet reaches the charging stage, and the fleet owner or operator can use it, to create transparency so that compatriots know what happens. Regarding the oil sector, specifically the oil and gas-fueled fleet to which we allocate quotas, it happens based on a process where stakeholders and custodians exist to obtain the desired information and performance of the fleet. Based on that, verification occurs, and after verification, they send it to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), and we then charge the fleet's smart fuel card. This process occurs in both inter-city and intra-city domains. That is, there are two main custodians: one for the inter-city domain, whose main custodian is the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, and for the intra-city domain, it's the municipalities and rural councils. These two main custodians, based on specific timeframes and periods determined in the working group, obtain fleet information. Based on that information, they announce it to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) at specified intervals, and NIOPDC, as merely the depositor of the declared performance into the fleet's profile and smart fuel card, carries out this action, which is based on a specific timetable. Yes. Well, can you now tell us how many? How many of the systems, both Sepahtan and Sipat, are currently connected to fuel stations? Yes, what percentage of them are connected now? Look…

The Cabinet resolution in 2014, the resolution in 2023, and the Seventh Development Plan Law were regulations that took steps towards the tracking scheme, made it more transparent, and stipulated that whatever happens for the fleet should be based on performance – a performance declared in 2014 based on transport documents and GPS data. This means both must be together for the performance to be recorded. So, since 2014, it has been a duty that two custodians should have carried out. Despite the fact that they were recording performance based on transport documents, they were also equipping fleets with GPS. Now, friends… in 2019, the Economic Council had issued a resolution for the Road Maintenance Organization regarding the inter-city domain, which required them to implement the GPS system, named Sepahtan, designed for the inter-city domain. Yes, initially, the equipment and the system should have been designed and installed on the fleets, and based on the extracted data, it should have been sent to the National Oil Products Distribution Company for allocation to occur. I should make a parenthetical point here: the Sepahtan system might not solely be for fleets or fuel performance; it might have other functions with different applications and various stakeholders. Each of these stakeholders can utilize it according to their specific mission. So, in the fuel sector, this has been a duty that needs to be performed.

Well, today, as we speak, how many of our fuel stations are connected to these systems? The relevant data, specifically data based on the Sepahtan system, has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company until today. This means that we are still allocating fuel based on transport documents, as per the Cabinet resolution of 2014, and that's through a process of aggregation and specific periods, Mr. Hasanvand and Dr. [Yousefi].

As of today, something around 5-6 years have passed, and at least in this past year, we have repeatedly aired various programs on these issues, making it our priority. Our managers at IRIB have repeatedly planned and implemented various programs on this topic, but this trend continues. Even now, what we perceive is that there is still no seriousness. At least, we haven't seen any significant action during this period. Before we delve into the real reason for this situation, please tell us: if these Sipat and Sepahtan systems are not implemented, how much excess fuel consumption do we have annually, or let's call it smuggling, or simply mismanagement?

To answer this question, we Iranians consider four indicators. One is the global performance indicator. The next indicator is the experience we had in 2009 with subsidy targeting. The third indicator I consider is expert opinions, and the last criterion or indicator that can help us is the Seventh Plan and its goal-setting in this area. Well, when I searched online, the average fuel consumption for road fleets globally is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes, while estimations show that in Iran, this figure is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, a part of this is due to fleet obsolescence, and another part might be due to empty returns of fleets. But the major portion is due to the non-establishment of this system and the lack of proper monitoring of fuel consumption, which is not genuinely contributing to the Gross National Product, and this will ultimately lead to an increase in energy intensity. This means we are providing energy, fuel, and gas oil to our fleets and industries, but not to the extent of efficiency, not to the average global output within Iran.

This is the first indicator. Our second indicator is an experience we had in 2009, where simply by implementing fuel cards, without even setting prices, consumption was fully controlled. The consumption at that time was reaching 75 million liters for gasoline and similarly close to 90 million liters for gas oil. Estimates indicated that if fuel cards hadn't been implemented and subsidy targeting hadn't occurred, today, in the gasoline sector alone, we would have had a consumption of about 180 million liters. Yes. In just two years, once with the goal of implementing fuel cards, and then with a pricing policy, this figure, which was around 75 million liters per day, reached about 60 million liters. This means it was not only controlled but also decreased by 15 percent. Well, we can consider this same figure in relation to the 65 million liters currently in the gas oil sector. We could have savings of something around 3 or 4 billion dollars here.

The next issue is expert opinions. That is, in various settings, different individuals at the refining and distribution company, their managers, their estimations are that they can reduce consumption by 15 to 20 million liters through the implementation of these systems, which would again be equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars annually. 20 million liters, million liters, yes, per year they can… if implemented daily, it would be consumption management. Our consumption in the transport sector, not for gas oil, is about 65 million liters per day. For the gasoline sector, there are over 13 transport and transport optimization areas. Again, I looked at that figure, and if we consider gas oil at, for example, 30 cents to 50 cents per liter, again, between 5 to 7 billion dollars per year can be saved in the area of consumption optimization. If I want to consider this same figure equivalent to oil production, meaning something that is an indicator in Table 10 of the Seventh Plan, it claims that in the transport sector, after 4 years, we want to optimize and reduce consumption by 240,000 barrels. If we want to spend this upstream on field development, approximately 6 billion dollars in investment is needed to add such production to the country's output. Whereas here, with systems that altogether might not even cost a few million dollars to implement, it mostly requires political will, cooperation, and synergy. You can actually increase that cost reduction and national wealth.

Dr., now we are saying that if this system is connected, we will have management. Even according to many experts, the imbalance will be resolved, we can even become an exporter, and many problems will be solved. But for years, we have been chanting this slogan, making these statements, and talking about it in various programs, but it doesn't happen. What do you think is the main reason for this? We must look at this from the perspective of governance.

When we enact a law, it has 3 stages: one is legislation, which we do in the Parliament. The second stage is the implementation of the law, where the government implements it. The third stage, which is widely practiced in foreign countries, is law enforcement. Let me give an example: in foreign countries, if you run a red light, there is a law that you must be fined, and you are fined. But the difference between us and foreigners is that when you are fined abroad, after one month, the money is withdrawn from your account. Now, you have one month to object, and after it's confirmed, your fine will be executed without any further request from you. Ultimately, the driver concludes that if I don't obey the law, I will be fined. This is the issue of law enforcement. Now, for years, in the Sixth, Fifth, and Seventh Plans, we have been obliging the government to do something. We have good organizations and laws, but in implementation, we lack indicators and oversight in that area. Now, one of the main duties of the Parliament is to supervise the implementation of laws. When we say the Sixth Plan has achieved 10% of its goals, the Parliament should have thoroughly supervised the institutions during the implementation of the plan. Later in the discussion, I will explain which institutions, for example, have had their duties specified after one year, and this is explicit. Well, after one year, if that organization has not implemented it, it must be supervised, censured, and the root cause of why it hasn't been done must be re-examined. Unfortunately, we enact the law, communicate it, seek its implementation, and then abandon the work, not following up. So, we have both governmental and parliamentary neglect of duty.

Yes, when an issue takes on a governance aspect, all components of governance are effective. Mr. Yousefi, I'm going back to the previous question. Now, considering the objectives of Sipat, what percentage or number of our fuel stations are connected to this system? That's right. Look, I should mention one point: these systems are not installable at fuel stations; they must be on the fleets. The transponders installed on the fleets send data extracted from Sipat and Sepahtan systems to us, which enables fuel withdrawal at the stations. The point is that currently, no data is coming to us. This means those two custodians are not sending us the GPS system data, even though they should, by law. Another point, which Dr. [Hasanvand] also mentioned and I will continue in a different way, is the issue of enforcement guarantee. Perhaps even with oversight, we have rarely seen in the law a strong enforcement guarantee that would pursue this. What happens if an organization or custodian fails to do this? We have held various meetings and programs, which you have kindly arranged, and discussions have taken place. Part of it is also about synergy between organizations. Organizations must, based on the duties assigned to them by higher authorities, definitely share data with each other. This is not happening. Perhaps now, in the inter-city or even intra-city fleet sector, some fleets might be equipped with these systems. Why isn't their data coming through? Where is the problem with this, or with the part where the two custodians are supposed to send data to you? Yes, definitely, the two custodians must review and verify the data and send it to us based on that. Meaning, if the data from those parties is not there, then effectively the performance that the Cabinet resolution itself declared must be safeguarded is not happening. It is solely based on performance, which now can be referred to based on documents such as waybills or statements of condition. The same happens in the intra-city domain based on intra-city transport documents.

Very well. Dr. Mostafa Nakhaei, a member of the Parliament's Energy Commission, is with us via phone. Dr. Nakhaei, hello and good evening. Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And then I extend my greetings and good evening to you, the program's guests, and the great nation of Iran.

Dr., I think in just the past month, maybe 30-40 days, we've been in touch with you at least three times regarding this very discussion about fuel management systems. But Dr., I don't know how long we should continue. IRIB is doing its duty; it has put this on its agenda and is following up, following up, but nothing significant is happening. Perhaps one area that needs to enter very seriously, without hesitation, is the Parliament. Just now, Dr. [Yousefi] pointed out, for example, that the two custodians who should send data and information are not sending it, and executive oversight isn't visible over these issues. Naturally, people will say to their representatives in Parliament and demand, 'Mr. MP, please follow this up and get it implemented.' Let's hear your response.

Well, first, I thank you and the IRIB complex, which has genuinely made a very good and serious entry into various issues in the energy sector, especially this very urgent Sepahtan issue. Let me tell you that the part of the work that is the responsibility of the Parliament, if we want to refer to the legislative aspect, well, in my opinion, the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) has done a good job in this section. It has set legal obligations for Sepahtan and for online waybills in the Seventh Development Plan Law. But in affirmation of your statement, I think that at least in the oversight area, we need to pursue the matter with more seriousness. Of course, to my knowledge, the Article 90 Commission has held meetings in this regard, and since it is an inter-sectoral issue, meaning it's related to various commissions, naturally, both the Civil Commission and we, who are in the Energy Commission, should have had stricter oversight regarding the reduction of fuel smuggling. Of course, we have plans to hold meetings on this matter, and God willing, we will receive reports from the executive body in the future. Nevertheless, I believe that in the legislative part, the Parliament has done a good job in setting the framework and legal obligations, and also in providing the implementation platform through the optimization market. In essence, it has created a way for resources to be generated from fuel savings, so that our friends can better operationalize and implement this.

Dr. Nakhaei, one point is the legislative issue, where you state that the Parliament has fulfilled its duty. However, right now, many experts, including Mr. Hasanvand, just mentioned that our laws lack the necessary enforcement guarantee. Meaning, we don't have laws that if a responsible agency fails to perform its duties – putting the oversight discussion aside – that if a certain agency doesn't fulfill its duty, and several years have passed since the plan and so on, nothing significant happens. No matter how much everyone shouts that public funds and national interests are being wasted, there's no reaction. Your laws lack the necessary enforcement guarantee. What is your opinion?

Mr. Dr., I think that if we want to consider a criminal penalty for every legal clause, that might not truly be appropriate for the legislative system. When an action is assigned as a duty to an executive body and an official, well, oversight bodies like the General Inspection Organization and the Audit Court can intervene from the perspective of neglect of duty. The penalty for it is also stipulated in the law. Meaning, if an action is defined and an official, for whatever reason, does not perform that action, i.e., neglects their duty, punishment for neglect of duty has been foreseen in the law. And I think that we don't have a significant legal vacuum in this regard. Explicitly mentioning it in the law might not be very suitable in my opinion… Dr., I think, with all due respect, we are beyond these words when billions of liters are being wasted daily, monthly, yearly from our national interests and public funds, contributing to this imbalance and problems. I think the procedure should be reformed and taken somewhat more seriously. I have a suggestion, Mr. Seifi. Since I see that you are following this Sepahtan program very well, IRIB, you have so far invited the Parliament, the Traffic Police, the Distribution Company, the Road Maintenance Organization, and related executive bodies. I think you should invite the oversight bodies as well for once. That is, see, the General Inspection Organization, after all, an action has been defined this way, why are they not taking action for its neglect of duty? It wouldn't be bad if the oversight bodies themselves came and were accountable. We, Mr. Dr., have both followed up and invited them. But the question is, why isn't Parliament intervening? Parliament, in my opinion, has intervened. Look, roughly one year has passed since the Seventh Plan, and naturally, we also understand that a big issue like online waybills or Sepahtan might not be something that can be implemented in a few months. In implementation, naturally, there are many problems. Inter-agency coordination, especially here, as I mentioned to you in that program, cases where execution requires coordination among several agencies, we always face challenges. We always have problems with team work implementation. Unfortunately, our oversight is more about cooperation than about confrontation and punishment. That is, we hold meetings, identify disorganizations, and give time for agencies to create the necessary coordination among themselves. We facilitate the path of implementation. Now, these meetings have also been held. Mr. Yousefi has probably told you. As far as I know, the Article 90 Commission has held meetings. The Civil Commission likewise. And the part related to fuel smuggling, which we in the Energy Commission must pursue, is indeed a very important issue. You see, close to 50% of our gas oil or diesel that we distribute in the country is in the transport sector, meaning something close to 60 million liters. And if these online waybills become operational for the daily distribution of 60 million liters of gas oil in the transport sector, it can greatly help in saving.

Dr., you just said that both the Civil Commission, the Energy Commission, and Article 90 Commission, so both in Parliament there's a need for inter-commission cooperation, and in the government, there's a need for synergy between agencies. But Dr., now our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program – a program dedicated to this topic at least once or twice a week by IRIB, live discussion programs in addition to reports – I really don't think there has ever been a period where IRIB has come to the fore so much based on the country's systemic issues, seriously pursuing these matters based on upstream documents. But we are putting all our effort, yet we see no reaction. Ultimately, we don't know what to do. Who should finally come to the forefront and make this story move? Now, because I didn't have the chance to watch the program today… Sir. The latest statistics provided by friends in Road Maintenance and Police, are they providing the information to the Distribution Company or not? No, unfortunately, Dr., that's precisely the point: why isn't the Parliament summoning these friends and asking, 'Why aren't you performing your legal duty?' And then, Dr., you say 'we.' It's been 5-6 years now since 2019, and everyone is still following up, and nothing is happening. This is fundamentally questioning our management system, a whole issue. And naturally, those who, at any rate… and I think that unfortunately, this very lack of coordination and the absence of determination and will in these executive bodies is part of the problem, which I also accept lies with the Parliament. We need to increase our oversight and follow up more on this matter, and it will definitely be on our agenda, God willing. But honestly, I think oversight bodies should also do more. Yes, we will certainly try, God willing, to be at your service. Dr., if possible, please stay with us; I have a few more questions for you.

Mr. Hasanvand, as I mentioned, nothing is happening. That is, despite the fact that we have repeatedly pursued this with the Parliament and the government – and I emphasize again, never in the history of IRIB has IRIB come to the forefront in this way, addressing the country's systemic issues based on upstream documents, issues that relate to people's interests, pursuing them so seriously – but right now, I am saying it transparently, some agencies, unfortunately, are not cooperating. No matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should be done? After all, as an expert who has surely studied and researched other countries and sees the process, what do you think we should do so that at least we can go and follow up?

Often, in the governance system, they try to utilize public oversight. That is, the performance of organizations or that pledge, the program, should be so clearly defined that an ordinary person can also assess the performance of the government, the president, organizations, and ministries. Currently, it's not like that. The Seventh Plan we have before us is truly a precise and coherent program. If I just give an example for this one case, it's completely clear: we wanted to implement Sepahtan. In Article 46, Clause A, we declared that the Fuel Consumption Optimization Organization – pardon me, the Strategic Energy Management Optimization Management (it's a difficult phrase, I have to repeat it) – from the merger of 3 existing organizations, its statute should be promulgated within 3 months and it should carry out a series of activities. This means that last Khordad (May/June), when the Seventh Plan was actually promulgated, the expectation was that the government would promulgate the statute by Shahrivar (August/September). This has not been done; it has taken a year, and recently, this statute has been promulgated with its own issues. However, the merger of the Fuel Consumption Optimization Organization, the Energy Optimization and Efficiency Organization, and the Fuel Headquarters has not been carried out. This means we are still keeping these in parallel. Therefore, even I, as an expert, or ordinary people understand that the government has neglected its duty in this matter. So, public oversight can be used in the next step, and clause B for public oversight. Dr., now you tell the people to perform public oversight, given past experiences and the current situation, how realistic is this statement?

In fact, I'm saying that these indicators help both the overseer and the general public. So, if it's up to the people… when you say, 'We have 20 million liters,' am I right? That thing that is now highly discussed, fuel smuggling, and in any case, we have waste and so on. Well, if it were up to the people, they would certainly want the problem solved today. I really don't think people currently have the energy or the capacity available, the platform available, to want to come forward. Otherwise, people would certainly want this issue to be resolved. Well, the expectations from Members of Parliament who are directly in contact with the people, and from oversight organizations, is that we actually state our expectations specifically. When these expectations have a legal requirement, it's easier to follow up. That is, a Member of Parliament who might express an opinion on the most minor issues in the parliamentary tribune now has indicators at hand. Meaning, regarding the performance of the optimization sector, they can fully say that you… You mean, Dr., that everyone should come to the forefront so that this becomes a social concern? But now the legal framework exists. Now let me also state the second clause of Article 46, which practically states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy agents must be promulgated within six months, which again has been neglected and not promulgated. And again, with better details, its second sub-clause states that the quota for gas oil credits shall only be allocated at stations located on the determined route with an electronic waybill based on distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and the Ministry of Interior.

Translator's Notes:

"۳۵۰۰ هزار میلیارد تومان" (3,500 thousand billion Tomans) is literally 3,500 trillion Tomans. This is a very large sum, reflecting the magnitude of the claimed hidden subsidies.

"نظام اوکراینی" (Nezam-e Okrayini – Ukrainian system) is almost certainly a mispronunciation or mistranscription in the original Persian audio/text for "نظام حکمرانی" (Nezam-e Hokmrani – governance system), which makes much more sense in the context of discussing oversight and implementation. I have translated it as "governance system" with this note.

"مدیریت بهینهسازی مدیریت راهبردی انرژی" is a slightly redundant-sounding phrase even in Persian. The translation "Strategic Energy Management Optimization Management" aims to capture its exact wording, reflecting the speaker's own comment about it being a "difficult phrase" to repeat.

Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking:

The Caran people of our country are competing in the global competitions in Japan, which will be held in September. Mahdi Ziai of the IRIB News Agency, thank you for being with us, dear viewers. Today, Tuesday, June 3rd, the 7th of Dhi al-Hijjah, it is announced that in Tehran, sunset will be at 7:16 PM, and midnight will be at 11:10 PM. Thank you very much for being with us. I invite you to watch the Economic Table with my colleague, Mr. Seifi. Please, hello, thank you, Ms. Khalaji, and hello and good evening to you, dear viewers. Welcome to the Economic Table program today. If you are interested in today's discussion about energy governance in our country, join us on the news channel. Hello and renewed greetings to you, dear and esteemed viewers. As you were informed in the headlines of the 2 PM news, today in the Economic Table program, we intend to discuss a vital agricultural issue in the field of energy governance in the country with our guests. First, we will discuss the Sepahd and Sipad systems, which are designed for transparency. First, we will discuss the Sepahd and Sipad systems, which are designed for transparency. First, we will discuss the Sepahd and Sipad systems, which are designed for transparency. Second, hidden energy subsidies, which consume more than 3500 trillion tomans of the country's resources annually, and Article 46 of the Seventh Development Plan, which promised to create smart energy governance. Unfortunately, months after the approval of these programs, no tangible output has been observed from these systems, and everyone has wondered if it is not time to update our country's energy management with precise institutionalization. We intend to discuss the mentioned issues with our guests in the studio, where we have Mr. Dr. Mahdi Hassanvand, a respected energy economics expert, and also Mr. Abuzar Yousefi, the respected head of customer relations of the smart fuel system. Other guests will also join us in person, online, and by phone. Mr. Hassanvand, greetings, respect, and a warm welcome again. Thank you for giving me your time, and I extend my greetings to the dear viewers. Greetings to you, Mr. Yousefi, welcome. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I extend my greetings to you, the capable host, and also my greetings to all dear compatriots who are watching and following our voice and image. Greetings to you, Mr. Yousefi. Let's start with you. Currently, when we review the reports, news, and messages of our compatriots in the field of energy, many of them complain about the lack of coordination between the fuel card and actual consumption. Considering your position, does your system have a response to this criticism, or have you made any specific reforms or actions in this regard? Yes, first, I would like to explain the process that actually takes place for a smart fuel card related to a fleet to reach the charging stage and for the fleet owner or operator to be able to use it, so that transparency is created and compatriots know what happens. In the field of oil and gas fleets, which we allocate quotas to, it is based on a process where stakeholders and custodians exist to obtain the desired information and performance of the fleet. Based on that, verification takes place, and after verification, they send it to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, and we charge the smart fuel card of the fleet. This process occurs in intercity and intracity areas, meaning there are two main custodians: one is the intercity area, and the other is the intracity area. The intercity area, whose main custodian is the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, and the intracity area, whose main custodians are the municipalities and rural districts. These two main custodians, based on specific timeframes and periods determined in the working group, obtain fleet information. Based on that information, they announce it to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company at specific time intervals, and the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, as simply the depositor of the declared performance in the profile and smart fuel card of the fleet, carries out this action, which is based on a specific timeframe. Yes, well, can you tell us now how many fuel stations are connected to these systems, both Sepahd and Sipad? What percentage of them are currently connected? Look, the Cabinet resolution in 2014, the resolution in 2023, and the Seventh Development Plan law were laws that took steps towards the tracking plan. They made this plan more transparent, and whatever happens to the fleet will be based on performance, performance that was actually announced in 2014 based on transport documents and GPS, meaning they must be together for the performance to be obtained. So, from 2014, there was a duty for two custodians to perform. Despite obtaining performance based on transport documents, they equipped the fleet with GPS. Now, friends, in 2019, the Economic Council had a resolution for the Road Maintenance Organization in the intercity area, which should have implemented the GPS system, named Sepahd, in the intercity area. Yes, initially, equipment and the system should have been designed and installed on the fleet, and based on the extracted data, it should have been sent to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company for allocation to occur. I should mention in passing here that the Sepahd system may not only be for fleets or fuel performance; it may have other functions with different purposes and different stakeholders. Each of these stakeholders can utilize it according to their mission. So, in the field of fuel, this was a duty that had to be performed. Well, today, as we are talking, how many of our stations are connected to these systems? The relevant data for today, based on the Sepahd system, has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, meaning that based on the transport documents, according to the Cabinet resolution of 2014, fuel allocation is still taking place, and that too, in a general way and based on specific periods, Mr. Hassanvand, Dr. It's been about 5 or 6 years now, and at least in the last year, we've had many programs about these issues. We've made it a priority, and our managers have planned and implemented various programs on this issue many times. But this trend continues. And what we understand is that there is still no seriousness. At least, we haven't seen anything significant happen during this time. Before we get into the real reason for this situation, please tell us how much additional fuel we consume annually if these Sipad and Sepahd systems are not implemented, or let's call it smuggling, or even mismanagement. To answer this question, I will put four indicators in front of us Iranians. One is the world's performance indicator. The next indicator is the experience we had in 2009 with targeted subsidies. The third indicator I will consider is expert opinions, and the last pointer or indicator that can help us is the Seventh Plan and the target setting in this regard. Well, when I searched the internet, the average consumption of road fleets in the world is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes, and estimates show that in Iran, this number is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, a part of this is due to the aging of the fleet. A part of it might be empty loads on the return trip of the fleet, but the major part is due to the lack of implementation of this system and the lack of monitoring of fuel consumption, which is not spent on gross national product, and this will ultimately lead to a decrease in the intensity of energy consumption. This means that we are giving energy, fuel, and diesel to our fleet and industry, but not to the extent of the average production in the world, in Iran. This is the first indicator. The second indicator is an experience we had in 2009, where simply by implementing fuel cards, without any pricing, consumption was completely controlled. The consumption in that year was around 75 million liters for gasoline, and similarly for gas oil, it reached close to 90 million liters. And the estimates were that if fuel cards were not implemented and that targeting was not done, today we would have consumed about 180 million liters of gasoline alone. Yes, within just two years, with the implementation of fuel cards and then with a pricing policy, this reached about 75 million liters per day, which then decreased to about 60 million liters. That is, it was not only controlled but also decreased by 15%. Well, we can consider this same number relative to the 65 million liters that are currently in the gas oil sector. We can save something around 3 or 4 billion dollars here. The next issue is expert opinions. That is, in different eras, different individuals in the refining and distribution company, their managers, their estimates are that they can reduce consumption by 15 to 20 million liters due to the implementation of these systems, which will again be equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars annually. 20 million liters? Million liters, yes. Annually. If they implement it daily, it can be managed. Our consumption, in fact, in the transportation sector, and not for gas oil, is about 65 million liters per day. For the gasoline sector, it's more than 13 transportation and optimization. If we consider the price of gas oil at, for example, 30 cents to 50 cents per liter, then we can save between 5 to 7 billion dollars annually in the field of consumption optimization. If I want to consider the equivalent oil production of this number, it is something that is an indicator that is in table 10 of the Seventh Plan and claims that in the transportation sector, after 4 years, we want to optimize and reduce consumption by 240,000 barrels. If we want to spend this in the upstream on field development, it requires approximately 6 billion dollars of investment so that we can add such production to the country's production. While here, with systems that, in total, may not even reach a few million dollars, their implementation, and more political will, cooperation, and synergy are needed. You can actually increase that cost reduction and national wealth. Dr., we are saying that if this system is connected, we will have management. Many experts even believe that the imbalance will be resolved, and we can even become an exporter, and many problems will be solved. But for years, we have been chanting this slogan and talking about it in various programs, but it doesn't happen. What is the main reason for this from your point of view? We should look at this from the perspective of governance. When we legislate, it has three stages: one is legislation, which we do in the parliament. The second stage is the implementation of the law, where the government implements the law. The third stage, which is widely implemented in foreign countries, is the enforcement of the law. Let me give an example: in a foreign country, if you run a red light, the law states that you should be fined, and you will be fined. But the difference between us and foreigners is that when you are fined in a foreign country, after a month, the money is deducted from your account. Now, you have one month to object, and after it is confirmed, your fine is executed without any request from you. Ultimately, the driver concludes that if I do not obey the law, I will be fined. This is about enforcing the law. Now, for years, in the Sixth, Fifth, and Seventh Plans, we have been obliging the government to do something. We have good organizations and laws, but in practice, we lack indicators and oversight. In that area, where the parliament's main duty is to oversee the implementation of laws, when we say that the Sixth Development Plan has achieved 10% of its goals, the parliament should have completely overseen the institutions during the implementation of the plan. Now, later in the discussion, I will say which institutions' duties have been specified after one year in this area, and these are explicit. Well, after one year, when that organization has not implemented it, it must be monitored, reprimanded, and reviewed again as to why it was not done. Unfortunately, we legislate, notify, seek implementation, and then abandon the work and do not follow up. This way, we have both governmental inaction and parliamentary inaction. Yes, when a matter becomes a matter of governance, all components of the governor are effective. Mr. Yousefi, I'm going back to the previous question. Now, considering the goals of the Civil Defense System, what percentage or number of our gas stations are connected to this system? Correct. Look, I should mention something about these systems not being installable at gas stations; they must be on the fleet. The transmissions that are installed on the fleet, and the data extracted from Sipad and Sepahd, come to us, so that at the station, there is the capability to dispense fuel and that there is the capability that currently no data comes to us. That is, those two custodians do not send us the data related to the GPS systems. Logically, according to the law, this work should be done. A point that Dr. also mentioned, and I will continue it in a different way, is the issue of enforcement guarantees. Perhaps even if there is oversight, we have rarely seen in law a strong enforcement guarantee that would pursue this. If the organization and custodian do not do this work, what happens to them? We have had various meetings and programs that you have kindly arranged, and discussions have taken place. Part of it is also about synergy between organizations. Organizations must, based on the duties assigned to them by upstream bodies, provide data to each other. This does not happen now. Perhaps in the intercity or even intracity fleet area, some fleets are equipped with these systems. Why doesn't their data come? Where is the problem here, or the part where two custodians should send data to you? Yes, certainly, two custodians must review and verify the data and send it to us based on that data. That is, if the friends' data is not available, the performance declared by the Cabinet resolution, which should be in tandem, will not happen. It is solely based on performance, which can be referred to as, for example, a bill of lading or a status report in the intracity area, based on intracity transport documents. Very good. Dr. Mostafa Naghaei, a member of the Energy Commission of the Parliament, is with us by phone. Dr. Naghaei, hello and good evening. Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And also, I extend my greetings and good evening to you, the guests of the program, and the great nation of Iran. Dr., I think in the past month, maybe 30 or 40 days, we have been with you at least three times regarding the discussion of fuel management systems. But Dr., I don't know how long we should continue. The IRIB is doing its duty. It has put this on its agenda and is following up. It is following up, but nothing specific is happening. Perhaps one of the areas where, without formality, the Parliament should seriously enter is this discussion. Now, Dr. mentioned, for example, that two custodians who should send data and information are not sending it. Executive oversight is not being seen on these, and logically, people are telling their representatives in Parliament and asking, "Mr. Member of Parliament, please follow this up and implement it." Let's hear your answer. Well, first, I thank you and the IRIB for truly having a very good and serious involvement in various energy issues, especially this Sepahd issue. I would like to say that the part of the work that is on the Parliament's shoulders, if we want to refer to the legislation part, well, I believe the Islamic Consultative Assembly has done a good job in this section. It has set legal obligations for Sepahd for online bills of lading in the Seventh Development Plan law. But in confirmation of your statement, I think that we, at least in the oversight area, should follow the issue with more seriousness. Of course, as far as I know, Article 90 Commission has held meetings in this regard, and since it is an inter-sectoral issue, meaning it is related to various commissions, naturally, both the Civil Commission and we, who are in the Energy Commission, should have had stricter oversight regarding the reduction of fuel smuggling. Of course, we have plans to hold meetings in this regard and, God willing, receive reports from the executive body in the future. Nevertheless, I think that in the legislative section, the Parliament has done a good job in both laying the groundwork and the legal obligation, and in providing the implementation platform through market optimization. In fact, it has somehow provided a way for resources to be generated from fuel savings so that friends can operate and implement this work better. Dr. Nakhaii, one issue is legislation, which you say the Parliament has done its duty. But right now, many experts, including Mr. Hassanvand, have just pointed out that our laws lack the necessary enforcement guarantees. That is, we do not have laws that, if the responsible body fails to perform its duties – oversight is one thing, but if a certain body fails to perform its duties, and years have passed since the plan, nothing specific happens. No matter how much everyone shouts that public funds and national interests are being wasted, there is no reaction. Your laws lack the necessary enforcement guarantees. What is your opinion? Dr., I think that we should not consider criminal penalties for every legal clause. This may not be appropriate for the legislative system. When an act is assigned to an executive body and an official, supervisory bodies like the Inspection Organization and the Audit Court can intervene in terms of dereliction of duty. The crime is also stipulated in the law. That is, if an act is defined and an official, for any reason, does not perform that act, meaning commits dereliction of duty, punishment for dereliction of duty is stipulated in the law, and I think we do not have a legal gap in this regard. Explicitly mentioning it in the law may not be very appropriate, in my opinion, for Dr., I think, with all due respect, we are past these words. When billions of liters are being wasted daily, monthly, annually from our national interests, from public funds, and we are suffering from this imbalance and problems, I think the approach should be reformed and be a bit more serious. I have a suggestion, Mr. Seifi, since I see that you are following this Sepahd program very well. The IRIB has invited the Parliament, the Traffic Police, the Distribution Company, the Road Maintenance Organization, and related executive bodies so far. I think it wouldn't hurt to invite the supervisory bodies once. That is, let's see. The Inspection Organization, after all, an act has been defined this way. Why don't they take action for its dereliction of duty? It wouldn't hurt for the supervisory bodies themselves to come and be accountable. We, Dr., have both followed up and invited them, but the question is why the Parliament doesn't intervene. I think the Parliament has intervened. Look, one year has passed since the Seventh Plan, and naturally, we understand that a big issue like online bills of lading or Sepahd may not be something that can be implemented in a few months. In implementation, naturally, there are many problems. Inter-agency coordination, especially here, as I mentioned in that program, in cases where implementation requires coordination of several agencies, we always face challenges. We always have problems in teamwork. Unfortunately, our oversight is more about cooperation than about confrontation and punishment, etc. That is, we hold meetings, identify inconsistencies, and give time for agencies to coordinate with each other and facilitate the implementation process. Now, these meetings have also been held. Probably, Mr. Yousefi told you that, as far as I know, I mentioned that the Article 90 Commission has held meetings, and the Civil Commission has done the same. The part that relates to fuel smuggling, and we in the Energy Commission must follow up on it, is indeed a very important issue. You see that nearly 50% of our diesel or gas oil distributed in the country is in the transportation sector, meaning something close to 60 million liters. If online bills of lading are operational for this 60 million liters per day of diesel distribution in the transportation sector, it can greatly help in saving. Dr., you said that both the Civil Commission and the Energy Commission, and Article 90, so there is a need for commissions in the Parliament and synergy among agencies in the government. But Dr., our people, our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program, where at least one or two IRIB programs per week are dedicated to this issue, live discussion programs in addition to reports, I really don't think there has been a period where the IRIB has been so involved based on its problem-solving system, seriously pursuing these issues based on upstream documents. But we are doing our best, yet we see no reaction. Ultimately, we don't know what to do. Who should finally get involved and get this story moving? Because I haven't had the chance to watch the program today. Sir, the latest statistics provided by friends in road maintenance and the police, do they provide information to the distribution company or not? No, unfortunately, Dr., that's the point. Why isn't the Parliament calling these friends and asking why they are not doing their legal duty? And Dr., you say months, it's been five or six years now since 2019, and everyone is still following up, and nothing is happening. This is generally questioning our management system, and naturally, those who, in any case, and I think that unfortunately, this lack of coordination and lack of determination in these executive bodies is part of the problem, and I accept that it is also in the Parliament. We need to have more oversight and more follow-up in this regard, and it will certainly be on the agenda, God willing. But really, the supervisory bodies, in my opinion, should also do more. Yes, we will certainly try, God willing, to be at your service, Dr. If possible, stay with us. I will ask you a few more questions. Mr. Hassanvand, as I mentioned, nothing is happening, despite the fact that we have repeatedly followed up with the Parliament and the government. I emphasize again that never before in the history of the IRIB has the IRIB come forward like this, putting the country's problems based on upstream documents at the center, and seriously pursuing something that is related to people's interests. But right now, I am saying it transparently, some agencies, unfortunately, are not cooperating. No matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should be done? After all, as an expert who has certainly studied and researched other countries, and you see the trend, what do you think we should do to at least follow up? Generally, in the Ukrainian system, they try to use public oversight. That is, the performance of organizations or that program should be so transparent and clear that even an ordinary person can evaluate the performance of the government, the president, organizations, and ministries. This is not the case now. The Seventh Plan that we have ahead is truly a precise and coherent plan. If I only give an example for this case, it is completely clear. Look, we wanted to implement Sepahd. In Article 46, paragraph A, we stated that the Fuel Consumption Optimization Organization, excuse me, the Strategic Energy Management Optimization Organization, the word is difficult, we have to repeat it, the merger of 3 existing organizations, their articles of association must be approved within 3 months, and they must carry out a series of activities. That is, in June of last year, when the Seventh Plan was actually approved, it was expected that the government would approve the articles of association by September. This was not done. It took one year, and recently these articles of association were approved with their own problems, but their merger, the merger of the Fuel Consumption Optimization Organization, the Energy Efficiency and Optimization Organization, and the Fuel Headquarters, has not been done. So we still have these in parallel. Therefore, I, as an expert, or ordinary people, also understand that the government has failed in this matter. So, public oversight can be used in the next step, and in paragraph B, public oversight. Dr., now tell the people to exercise public oversight. Given past experiences and the current situation, how practical is this really? In fact, I mean that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. If I were to tell the people now, "Look, 20 million liters, am I right? What is now widely known as fuel smuggling, and in any case, we have waste and so on." Well, if it were up to the people, they would want the problem to be solved today. I really don't think people now have the ability or the capacity or the platform to come forward, otherwise, people would want this issue to be resolved. Well, the expectations from members of parliament who are in contact with the people themselves and the supervisory organizations is that we should clearly state our expectations and demands. When these expectations have a legal obligation, it is easier to follow up. That is, now a member of parliament who might express an opinion on the most detailed issues on the parliament's rostrum now has indicators in hand, meaning he can fully say about the performance of the optimization sector that you… Dr., your point is that everyone should come forward so that this becomes a social concern, but now there is a legal framework. Now, let me also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which actually states that the comprehensive energy supply and allocation program must be approved within six years and six months, which has also been neglected and not approved. And again, with better details, its second part states that the diesel credit quota should only be allocated at stations located on routes connected by electronic bills of lading based on distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the Interior.

Gemini 2.0 Flash:

You were with us. I invite you to watch Mize Eghtesad (Economic Desk) with my colleague, Mr. Seifi. Please, go ahead. Hello and thank you, Ms. Khalaji, and hello and good day to you, dear viewers. Welcome to the Economic Desk program. If you are interested in today's discussion, which is about energy governance in the country, join us on Khabar Network. Hello and greetings again to you, dear viewers. As you were informed in the headlines of the 2:00 PM news, today in the Economic Desk program, we intend to have a vital discussion in the field of energy governance in the country with our guests. To discuss and talk about the first, Sepahtan and Sipaad systems, which aim to provide transparency, to discuss and talk about the first, Sepahtan and Sipaad systems, which aim to provide transparency. Second, hidden energy subsidies, which annually consume more than 3,500,000 billion Tomans from the country's resources, and Articles 4 and 6 of the Seventh Progress Plan, which promise to create smart energy governance. Unfortunately, months after the image of these programs, no tangible output has been observed from these systems, and everyone is wondering if the time has not come to update the country's energy management with precise institution building. We intend to discuss the issues I mentioned with the guests in the studio, in the service of Dr. Mehdi Hassanband, esteemed expert in energy economics, and also Mr. Abuzar Yousefi, esteemed head of customer relations for the Smart Fuel System, and other guests will join us in person, online, and by phone. Mr. Hassanvand, hello, respect, and welcome again. Thank you for the time you have given me, and I greet the dear viewers. Greetings to you, Mr. Yousefi, very welcome. Hello, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I offer my greetings to you, capable presenter, and also my greetings to all dear compatriots who hear our voice and see our image and are following and monitoring this program. Greetings to you, Mr. Yousefi. Let's start with your Excellency. Currently, when we review the reports, news, and messages of our compatriots in the field of energy, many of them complain about the lack of coordination between the fuel card and actual consumption. Considering the position you hold, does your system have a response to this criticism, or have you taken any specific action or reform in this regard? Yes, first of all, I need to explain the process that actually happens until a smart fuel card related to the fleet actually reaches the charging stage and the fleet owner or operator can use it, to create transparency so that compatriots know what is happening. In the field of fuel, the fleet of oil and gas users, which we are actually allocating quotas to, is based on a process in which beneficiaries and custodians exist to collect information and performance of the desired fleet, and based on that, verification takes place, and after verification, it is sent to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, and we charge it on the smart fuel card of the fleet. This process happens in the field of intra-city and inter-city, meaning there are two main custodians, one is the inter-city area and the other is the intra-city area. The main custodian of the inter-city area is the Road Maintenance and Road Transport Organization. Yes. Intra-city is the Municipality and Village Administration Organization. These two main custodians collect fleet information based on specific time periods and specific periods that we have reached in the working group. Based on that information, they announce it to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company in specific time periods, and the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, as simply the depositor of the announced performance, takes this action in the profile and smart fuel card of the fleet, which is based on a specific timeline. Yes, well, can you say how much of the systems, both Sepahtan and Sipaad, are now connected to fuel stations? Yes, what percentage of them are now connected? Look, the cabinet resolution in 1393, the resolution in 1402, and the law of the Seventh Development Plan were laws that came in line with the design of the surveying, they made this design more transparent, and it is supposed to happen for the fleet based on performance, performance that was actually announced in 1393 based on transport documents and GPS, meaning these two should be together so that performance can be collected. From 1393, it was a task that the two custodians had to do. Despite the fact that they were collecting performance based on transport documents, they were equipping GPS for the fleet. Now, friends have come in 1398, the Economic Council had given a resolution to the Road Maintenance Organization in the inter-city area that they should implement the GPS, which was designed as the Sepahtan system in the inter-city area. Yes, initially, equipment and the system had to be designed and equipped on the fleet system, and based on the data that was extracted, it was sent to the National Distribution Company for allocation to happen. I have a parenthesis here, it is worth mentioning that the Sepahtan system may not only be for the fleet or for fuel performance, it may have other functions that have different uses and different beneficiaries, each of these beneficiaries can benefit from it in proportion to their type of mission. So, in the field of fuel, this was a task that had to be done. Well, today that we are talking together, how much of our stations are connected to these systems? The relevant data? To this day, the data based on the Sepahtan system has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, meaning we are still allocating fuel based on the cabinet resolution of 1393, which is also in full and based on specific periods. Mr. Hassanvand and Mr. Doctor. Now, something around 5-6 years has passed, and at least in this last year that we have repeatedly gone to different programs about these issues, we have put it on the agenda, it is our duty, the managers of the complex have repeatedly planned and implemented different programs on this issue in different programs, but this trend continues. Now, what we understand is that there is still no seriousness, meaning at least we have not seen anything special happen in this period. Before we get into the discussion that what is the real reason for these conditions, tell us, if the Sipaad and Sepahtan systems are not implemented, how much extra fuel do we consume annually, or let's call it smuggling or simply mismanage. To answer this question, we put four indicators in front of us Iranians. One indicator is the performance of the world, the next indicator is the experience that we had in 1388 in the targeting of subsidies, the third indicator I put the expert opinions, and the last indicator that can help us is the discussion of the seventh program and the goal setting that is in this field. Well, when I searched the internet, the average consumption of the road fleet in the world is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes, and estimates show that in Iran this number is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, a part of this is related to the obsolescence of the fleet, a part of it may be due to empty trips on the return route of the fleet, but the main part is due to the lack of establishment of this system and the lack of monitoring of fuel consumption, which is not simply spent on national gross production, and this ultimately leads to an increase in energy intensity, meaning we are giving energy, fuel, and diesel fuel to our fleet and industry, but we are not producing as much as the average that is produced in the world inside Iran. This is the first indicator. The second indicator, we have an experience in 1388 that only with the application of the fuel card without pricing, the consumption was completely controlled. The consumption that was in that year was from 75 million liters for gasoline and similarly for gas oil to nearly 90 million liters, and the estimates were that if the fuel card was not applied and that targeting was not done, today we would have about 180 million liters of consumption in the field of gasoline alone. Yes. In just two years, once with the goal of establishing the fuel card and then with a price policy, this amount of about 75 million liters per day reached about 60 million liters, meaning not only was it controlled, but it also decreased by 15%. Well, we can consider this same number compared to the 65 million liters that are currently in the field of gas oil, something around 3 billion or 4 billion dollars we can save here. The next issue is expert opinions, meaning in different circles, different people in the Palesh and Pakhsh company, their managers, their estimates are that they can reduce consumption by up to 15 to 20 million liters from the establishment of these systems, which is again equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars per year. 20 million liters. Million liters. Yes, in a year, they can manage consumption if they implement it daily, our consumption is actually in the transportation sector and not for gas oil, about 65 million liters per day, for the gasoline sector, it is more than 13, the field of transportation and optimization of the transportation sector, which again I looked at that number, with gas oil liters of, for example, 30 cents to 50 cents, again, it is between 5 to 7 billion dollars per year, savings can be made in the field of optimizing consumption. If I want to consider this same number equivalent to its oil production, meaning it is something that is an indicator that is included in Table 10 of the Seventh Plan, and it claims that we want to optimize and reduce consumption by 240,000 barrels in the field of transportation after 4 years. If we want to spend this on developing fields upstream, it takes about 6 billion dollars approximately to invest so that we can add such production to the country's production, while here with a few systems that in total may not reach a few million dollars, establishing these and more political will is needed, cooperation and synergy is needed, you can increase that reduction in cost and national wealth. Mr. Doctor, now we are saying if this system is connected, we have management, even according to many experts, the imbalance will be resolved, we can even become an exporter, and many issues and problems will be solved, but we have been giving this slogan for years. We are talking about these things in different programs, but this is not happening. What is the main reason from your point of view? This should be looked at from the perspective of governance. When we make a law, it has 3 stages, one is the enactment of the law, which we legislate in our parliament. The second stage is the implementation of the law, which the government implements the law. The third stage, which is being implemented a lot in foreign countries, is the discussion of applying the law. I give an example, in a foreign country, if you run a red light, it is the law that you must be fined, and you are fined, but the difference between us and foreigners is over this issue, that when you are fined in a foreign country, after a month it is deducted from your account. If you now have a month to object and after that it is confirmed, that fine of yours is executed without any request from you. Ultimately, the driver comes to the conclusion that if I do not obey the law, I will be fined. The issue is the application of the law. Now, for years in the Sixth, Fifth, and Seventh Plans, we have been obliging the government to do something, we have good organizations and laws, but in implementation we do not have indicators and monitoring. In that area, the parliament, one of its main tasks is to monitor the implementation of laws. When we say that the law of the Sixth Plan has reached 10% of its goals, the parliament should have completely monitored the institutions during the implementation of the plan. Now, in the continuation of the discussion, I will say that in this area, for example, what obligations have been specified for which institutions after a year, and these are explicit. Well, after a year, when that organization has not implemented it, it must be monitored and reprimanded and the reason why it was not done must be investigated again. Unfortunately, we enact the law, announce it, look for implementation, and then abandon the work, we do not follow it up. We have both dereliction of duty in the government and in the parliament. Yes, when the issue takes on a governance aspect, all components of governance are effective. Mr. Yousefi, I will go back a little to the previous question. Considering the goals of Sipan, what part of our fuel stations are connected to this system? What percentage or number can you give us? Correct. Look, I have a point to say in relation to the fact that these systems cannot be installed in stations, they must be on the fleet. The equipment that is installed in the fleet and the data that is extracted from Sipaad and Sepahtan comes to us, which in the station, it is capable of actually withdrawing fuel and it has the ability that currently no data is coming to us, meaning those two custodians are not sending us the data related to the GPS systems. According to the law, you should do this. One discussion that Mr. Dr. also mentioned and I continue it in another way, is the discussion of executive guarantee. Maybe even if there is monitoring, we have seen less in the law that an executive guarantee with a strong backing comes and follows this up. If the organization and the custodian do not do this, what happens to it? We have various meetings and programs that you have kindly prepared and we have come and discussed, part of it is also the discussion of synergy between organizations. Organizations must definitely provide data to each other based on the obligations that upstream institutions have imposed on them. This does not happen. Now, maybe in the field of intercity or even intracity fleet, some of the fleet are equipped with these systems, why does the data not come? Where is the problem in this part, or a part that the two custodians must send to you? Yes, definitely, the two custodians must review and verify the data and send the data to us based on that data, meaning if the data of the friends is not available, the performance that the cabinet resolution announced that it should be together will not happen, simply based on performance, which is now based on documents, for example, waybills or status reports can be mentioned. In the intracity area, it also happens based on intracity transport documents. Likewise, very good, Dr. Mostafa Noghaei, member of the Energy Commission of the Parliament, is with us by phone. Dr. Nakhaei, hello, good time. Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I also offer hello and good time to your Excellency, the guests of the program, and the great nation of Iran. Dr., I think in this last month, maybe 30-40 days, we have been at your service at least, I think, three times regarding this discussion of fuel management systems. But Dr., I don't know how long we have to continue. The IRIB is doing its duty, it has put this on its agenda, it is following up, it is following up, but nothing special happens. Perhaps one of the areas that should enter very seriously without any courtesy is the discussion of the Parliament. Now, Dr. mentioned, for example, as an example, the two custodians do not send the data and information that they should send, executive supervision is not seen on them, and logically people tell their representatives in the Parliament and they want the member of Parliament to follow this up and be implemented. Let's hear your Excellency's answer. Well, first of all, I thank His Excellency the IRIB complex, which has really had a very good and serious entry in various issues of the energy sector, especially this Sepahtand topic. I would like to say that the part of the work that is the responsibility of the Parliament, if we want to refer to that law-making part, well, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, in my opinion, has done a good job in this part. It has also put a legal obligation on Sepahten for online waybills in the law of the Seventh Plan, but in confirming your statement, I think that at least in the supervisory area, we should follow the issue a little more seriously. Of course, as far as I know, the Article 90 Commission has had meetings in this regard, and since it is a subject between sectors, meaning it is related to different commissions, naturally both the Construction Commission and we who are in the Energy Commission should have more accurate supervision for the sake of reducing fuel smuggling. Of course, we have programs, we will have meetings in this regard, God willing, to get a report from the executive branch in the future. However, I think that now, in that law-making part, in the laying of rails and the legal obligation, the Parliament has done a good job, both in providing the platform for its implementation with the optimization market in a way that resources are obtained from fuel savings from Mr. Friends can better operationalize and implement this work. Dr. Nakhaei, one discussion is the discussion of law-making, which you say that the Parliament has done its duty, but right now many experts, right now Mr. Hassanvand also mentioned that our laws do not have that executive guarantee that is needed, meaning we do not have laws that if the responsible device does not fulfill its duties, now the discussion of supervision is in its place, but that if the so-and-so device does not fulfill its duties, several years have passed from the program and these things, nothing special happens, no matter how much everyone is shouting that public treasury and national interests are being wasted, it does not show any reaction. Your laws do not have the necessary executive guarantee. What is your Excellency's opinion? Mr. Dr., I think that it may not be worthy of the law-making system if we want to consider a criminal penalty for each article of the law. When an action is mandated to an executive device and a responsible official, well, supervisory bodies such as the Inspection Organization, the Audit Court, these can enter from the aspect of dereliction of duty, and its crime is also foreseen in the law, meaning if an action is defined and an official does not do that action for any reason, meaning they have neglected their duty, punishment has been foreseen for the dereliction of duty in the law, and I think that we do not have much of a legal vacuum in this regard. It may not be very appropriate for us to explicitly mention in the law that…Dr., I think, with respect, we have passed these words, when billions of liters per day, per month, per year are being wasted from our national interests, from the public treasury, قربین to these imbalances and problems and these things, I think the procedure should be reformed and a little more serious. I have a suggestion, Mr. Seifi, because I see that you are following this Sepahtan program very well. So far, you, the IRIB, have invited the Parliament, you have invited the traffic police, you have invited the distribution company, you have invited the road maintenance and the relevant executive devices. I think that once you also invite the supervisory devices. Meaning, see why the Inspection Organization, after all, an action like this has been defined, why are they not taking action for its dereliction of duty? It would not be bad if the supervisory device itself would also be accountable. We, Dr., have both followed up and invited, but well, the question is why is the Parliament not entering? I think the Parliament has entered. Look, one year has passed from the Seventh Plan, almost, and naturally we also understand that a big issue such as online waybill or Sepahten may not be an issue that can be implemented in a few months. In the implementation, naturally, there are many problems, inter-device coordination. Especially here, in that program, I also told you that the cases that need coordination of several devices in the implementation always face challenges. We always have problems in team work, unfortunately, our supervision is more from the aspect of cooperation than from the aspect of confrontation and punishment and these things, necessarily, meaning we hold meetings, we feel the incoordination, we give time to the devices to go and create the necessary coordination with each other, we facilitate the path of implementation, now these meetings have also been held, now probably Mr. Yuusfi told you, as far as I know, the Article 90 Commission has held meetings, the Construction Commission in the same way, also that part that is related to fuel smuggling, and we in the Energy Commission should follow it up, which is a very important issue. You see, nearly 50% of our oil gas or diesel fuel that we explain in the country is in the transportation sector, meaning something close to 60 million liters, and if these 60 million liters per day of diesel fuel distribution in the transportation sector are operationalized by online waybills, well, it can help a lot to save money. Dr., now you said both the Construction Commission, the Energy Commission, and Article 90, so both the Parliament needs cooperation from the commissions, and the government needs synergy from the devices, but Dr., now the people, our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program, which at least one or two of the IRIB programs are dedicated to this topic per week, live talk shows in addition to reports, meaning I really do not think there is a period that has come so much based on the system of issues of the IRIB, has come to work based on the upstream documents, follows these issues seriously, but whatever effort we can make, we put it in, but we do not see any reaction. Finally, we do not know what we should do. Who should finally come to work and finally a shake-up should happen in this story? Now, because I did not have the opportunity to see the program today, Mr. The latest statistics that friends have given in road maintenance and police, do they give information to the distribution company or not? No, unfortunately, Dr. That is exactly the point, why does the Parliament not call these friends and say, gentlemen, you are not fulfilling your legal duty? And then, Dr., you say that we, we, from 98, now five-six years have passed, everyone is still following up and nothing happens, this is questioning our management system as a whole. One issue, and logically those who are by any means and I think that unfortunately, this incoordination and that there is no determination in these executive devices, unfortunately, I also accept a part of the problem that is in the Parliament. We should have more supervision, more follow-up in this regard, and certainly, God willing, it will be on the agenda. But really, the supervisory device should also be more. Yes, definitely, try to be at your service, God willing. Dr., if possible, stay with us, I will have a few more questions for you. Mr. Hassanvand, I described the conditions, nothing happens, meaning despite the fact that we have repeatedly followed up from the Parliament, from the government, meaning I emphasize again, it has never been in the history of the IRIB that the IRIB has come to the base of the upstream documents of the system of issues of the country in this way, put the things that are related to the interests of the people in the middle, follows up so seriously, but right now I am saying transparently that some of the devices that, unfortunately, do not cooperate, no matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should be done? Finally, as an expert who has certainly studied the countries of the world, researched, and also sees the process, what do you think should be done so that at least we can go and follow up? They generally try to use public supervision in the Ukrainian system, meaning the performances of the organizations or that promise should be so transparent and clear that an ordinary person can also measure the performance of the government, the president, the organization, the ministries. It is not like this now. Currently, the Seventh Plan that we have ahead is really an accurate and coherent plan. I only give an example for this very case, it is completely clear. See, we wanted to implement Sepahten, in Article 46, paragraph A, we announced that the organization for optimizing fuel consumption, sorry, strategic management of energy. It is a difficult word, we have to repeat it. From the claim of 3 organizations that exist right now, the articles of association of this organization should be announced within 3 months and a series of activities should be carried out, meaning in June of last year when the Seventh Plan was actually announced, the expectation was that the government would announce the articles of association by September. This work has not been done. A year has passed and recently these articles of association have been announced with their own problems, but the merger of the organizations for optimizing fuel consumption, the organization for optimizing and improving energy efficiency and the Fuel Headquarters has not been done, meaning we still have these in parallel. Therefore, I as an expert or ordinary people also understand that the government has been derelict in this case, so public supervision can be used. In the next step and paragraph B, Mr. Dr., now tell the people to supervise publicly, considering the past experiences and the existing conditions, how operational is this word really? In fact, I am saying that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public, that I should be public, that now when you tell me, Mr., 20 million liters, am I saying correctly, the thing that is now named a lot, fuel smuggling, and by any means we have waste and these things, well, if it is up to the people, they are from God that the problem should be solved today. I really do not think that people have that ability now or that capacity is provided for them, that platform is provided for them to want to come to work. Otherwise, the people are from God that this issue should be solved. Well, the expectations from the members of the Parliament who are in contact with the people and the supervisory organizations are that we should express our expectations and expectations specifically. When these expectations have legal obligation, it becomes easier to follow up, meaning now the member of the Parliament who may express his opinion on the most minor issues in the tribune of the Parliament now has indicators in his hands, meaning in the case of the performance of the optimization area, he can fully say that you 9, you do your thing. What do you mean, Dr., by everyone coming to work so that this creates a more social concern, but now the legal platform exists. Now, I will also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which has actually said that the comprehensive program for supplying and allocating energy agents should be announced within 6 years, 6 months, which is again a dereliction of duty and has not been announced. And again, with better details, the second part says that the quota for oil gas should only be allocated in a station located on the route with a electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the country.

Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite:

Okay, here's the English translation of the television news transcript, aiming for accuracy and clarity:

— START OF ENGLISH TRANSLATION —

You're with us. I invite you to watch the "Economy Desk" segment with my colleague, Mr. Seyfi. Please, come in.

Hello, thank you, Ms. Khaleghi, and good morning and good time to you, dear viewers. Welcome to the "Economy Desk" program. If you're interested in today's discussion, which is about energy governance in the country, please join us on the Khabar network.

Hello and a special greeting to you, esteemed viewers. As you were informed in the headlines of the 2 PM news, today in the "Economy Desk" program, we intend to discuss a vital three-pronged approach in the field of energy governance in the country, with the guests we have. First, we'll discuss the Sepehtan and CIPAD systems, which aim for transparency. First, we'll discuss the Sepehtan and CIPAD systems, which aim for transparency. Secondly, we'll address the hidden energy subsidies that consume over 3,500 billion Tomans of the country's resources annually, and the fourth and sixth articles of the Seventh Development Plan, which promise to establish smart energy governance. Unfortunately, with months having passed since the presentation of these plans, no tangible output has been observed from these systems. For all, the question has arisen: hasn't the time come to update our energy management in the country with precise institution-building?

We intend to discuss the issues I mentioned with our guests in the studio. We have Mr. Dr. Mehdi Hassanvand, a respected energy economics expert, and also Mr. Abouzar Yousefi, the respected Head of Customer Relations for the Smart Fuel System. Other guests will also join us in person, online, and by phone.

Mr. Hassanvand, welcome back, and good morning again.

Thank you for the time you've given me. And I say hello to the dear viewers.

Welcome to you, Mr. Yousefi.

Greetings. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I greet you, the capable host, and also greet all the dear compatriots who can hear and see us and are following and monitoring this program.

Welcome, Mr. Yousefi. Let's start with you. Currently, as we review the reports, news, and messages from our compatriots in the energy sector, many of them complain about the lack of coordination between fuel cards and actual consumption. Given your position, does your system have a response to this criticism, or have you made any specific corrections or actions in this regard?

Yes, first of all, I should explain the process that actually happens until a smart fuel card related to the fleet, in fact, reaches the stage of being charged, and the owner of the fleet or the operator of the fleet can use it, so that transparency is created and our compatriots know what's happening. In the discussion of the oil fleet, the oil and gas-powered fleet, we have to allocate the quota based on the process where the beneficiaries and the authorities exist in order to obtain the information and performance of the fleet, and then validity assessment happens, and after the validity assessment, we send it to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, and we charge the smart fuel card of the fleet. This process happens both inside and outside the city, meaning there are two main authorities: one is the out-of-city sector, and the other is the in-city sector. The main authority for the out-of-city sector is the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization. Yes. The in-city sector is the municipality and village councils. These two main authorities, based on specific timeframes and periods that we have in the working group, gather the fleet information. Based on that information, they announce it in specific time periods to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, and the National Oil Refining and Distribution Company, only as the one who deposits the declared performance in the profile and smart fuel card of the fleet, performs this action, which is based on a specific time schedule. Yes.

Well, can you say how much now…both Sepehtan and CIPAD systems are now connected to fuel stations? Yes, what percentage of them are connected now?

Look, the cabinet's approval in 2014, the approval in 2023, and the Seventh Development Plan law were laws that came in line with the پیمایش (Peymayesh) plan, making this plan more transparent and what is supposed to happen for the fleet is based on performance, the performance that actually was declared in 2014 based on transport documents and GPS, meaning these two should be together to gather the performance. Since 2014, there has been a duty that the two authorities should have done. Despite the fact that they were gathering performance based on transport documents, they were equipping the GPS for the fleet. Now, the friends came in 2019 with an economic council approval for the Road Maintenance Organization in the out-of-city sector, which should have implemented the GPS system, which in the out-of-city sector was designed as the Sepehtan system. Yes. Initially, the equipment and the system should have been designed and installed on the fleet, and based on the data extracted from it, it would be sent to the National Oil Refining and Distribution Company so that the allocation could happen.

I have a parenthesis here to say that the Sepehtan system may not only be for the fleet or for fuel performance; it may have other functions that have different benefits, and each of these beneficiaries can benefit from it according to the type of their mission. So, in the fuel sector, this was a duty that should have been done.

Okay, today, as we are talking, what percentage of our stations are connected to these systems?

The data related to the Sepehtan system has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company yet, meaning we are still allocating fuel based on the transport documents that are based on the cabinet's approval of 2014, and that is also in a very detailed manner and based on specific periods.

Mr. Hassanvand, and Dr. now, up to today, something like 5-6 years have passed, and at least in this past year, we have repeatedly discussed these issues in various programs. We have made it the focus of our work, and the managers of the organization have repeatedly planned and implemented various programs on this issue. But this trend is still continuing. Now, what we understand is that the seriousness is still not there, meaning that at least in this time, we have not seen anything specific happen.

Before we get into the discussion of what is the real reason for this situation, tell us if these CIPAD and Sepehtan systems are not implemented, how much extra fuel do we have in a year, or let's call it smuggling, or a mismanagement, actually.

To answer this question, we put four indicators in front of us, Iranians. One is the world's performance index, the next index is the experience we had in 2009 with the targeting of subsidies, the third index I put as expert opinions, and the last index that can help us is the Seventh Plan discussion and the goals that are in this field.

Well, when I searched the internet, the average consumption of the road fleet in the world is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes. Estimates show that in Iran, this number is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Definitely, part of this is related to the aging fleet, and part of it may be empty on the way back, but the main part is due to the lack of establishment of this system and the lack of monitoring of fuel consumption, which is not spent on the gross national product, and this will ultimately lead to a decrease in the energy intensity. That is, we are giving energy, fuel, and diesel to our fleet and industry, but we are not producing as much as the average that is produced in the world inside Iran.

This is the first indicator. The second indicator is that we have an experience in 2009 where, just by applying the fuel card without pricing, we completely controlled consumption. The consumption that was in that year was 75 million liters for gasoline, and similarly for gasoil, reaching nearly 90 million liters. And the estimates were that if the fuel card was not implemented and that targeting was not done, today in the gasoline sector alone we would have consumed about 180 million liters. Yes.

Only in two years, once with the establishment of the fuel card and then with a pricing policy, this amount of 75 million liters per day reached about 60 million liters. That is, not only was it controlled, but it also decreased. It decreased by 15%. Well, we can consider this same number for the 65 million liters that are now in the gasoil sector. This is about 3 million or 4 billion dollars that we can save here.

The next topic is expert opinions. That is, in various groups, different people in the oil refining and distribution companies, their managers' estimates are that they can reduce consumption by 15 to 20 million liters due to the establishment of these systems, which is equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars per year.

20 million liters. Million liters. Yes, per year. If they implement it every day, it becomes managing our consumption, in fact, in the transport sector, and not for gasoil, about 65 million liters per day. For the gasoline sector, more than 13 [million liters]. It's the transport sector and the optimization of the transport sector, and I looked at that number again, with gasoil at for example 30 cents to 50 cents per liter, it would save between 5 to 7 billion dollars per year in the area of optimizing consumption.

If I want to consider this same number equivalent to its oil production, meaning it is something that is an indicator that has come in table 10 of the Seventh Plan and claims that in the transport sector, after 4 years, we want to optimize and reduce consumption by 240,000 barrels. If we want to spend this on developing the fields, we need about 6 billion dollars approximately to be invested so that we can add such production to the country's production, while here, with systems that in total may not cost more than a few million dollars, establishing them and requiring more political will, cooperation, and synergy, you can reduce the cost and increase national wealth.

Mr. Dr., now we are saying that if this system is connected, we have management. Even many experts believe that the imbalance is resolved; we can even become an exporter and solve many of the problems. But for years, we have been giving this slogan, we are talking about it in various programs, but this is not happening. In your opinion, what is the main reason for this?

This should be looked at from a governance perspective. The law we set has three stages. One is the enactment of the law, which we legislate in the parliament. The second stage is the implementation of the law, which the government implements the law. The third stage, which is very much implemented in foreign countries, is the enforcement of the law.

I will give an example: In a foreign country, if you run a red light, the law says that you have to be fined, and you are fined. But the difference between us and foreigners is that when you are fined abroad, it is deducted from your account after a month. Now, you have a month to object, and after it is confirmed, your fine is implemented without asking you. Ultimately, the driver comes to the conclusion that if I don't follow the law, I will be fined. It's about the enforcement of the law.

Now, for years, in the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh plans, we have been obliging the government to do something, and we have a good organization and law, but in practice, we have no indicators and no supervision. In the area where the parliament is one of its main responsibilities, the discussion of overseeing the implementation of laws, when we say the Sixth Plan has reached 10% of its goals, the parliament should have completely supervised the institutions during the implementation of the plan. Now, in the continuation of the discussion, I will say that in this field, for example, which institutions have specified their duties after a year, and these things are very clear. Well, after a year, when that organization has not implemented, it must be supervised, reprimanded, and the root cause should be investigated as to why it hasn't happened.

Unfortunately, we enact the law, we announce it, we look for its implementation, and then we abandon the work; we don't follow up. Both the government has inaction and the parliament does too.

When the issue takes on a governance aspect, all the components of governance are effective.

Mr. Yousefi, I'll go back a bit to the same previous question. Now, according to the goals of CIPAD, what part of our fuel stations are connected to this system? Can you give us a percentage or a number?

Okay, let me mention a point. In relation to the fact that these systems cannot be installed in the stations, they must be on the fleet. The modifications that are installed on the fleet and the data that comes from CIPAD and Sepehtan is what comes to us. At the stations, it has the capability of taking fuel, and that it has the ability that in the present, no data is coming to us, meaning those two authorities are not sending the data related to the GPS systems to us. Usually, according to the law, this should be done.

One point that Mr. Dr. also mentioned, and I will continue it in another way, is the discussion of the guarantee of execution. Perhaps even if there is supervision, we have seen less in the law that the guarantee of execution comes with strong support and follows this. If the organization and the authority do not do this, what will happen to them?

Now, you have worked hard, and you have prepared the various sessions and programs, and we have discussed the issue. Part of it is also the discussion of synergy between organizations. Organizations must, according to the duties that the higher authorities have assigned to them, definitely provide the data to each other; this does not happen.

Now, maybe in the area of the out-of-city fleet or even the in-city fleet, some of the fleets are equipped with these systems, but why doesn't their data come? Where is the problem, or the part that we have, that the two authorities must send to you?

Yes, definitely, the two authorities must review and validate the data, and based on that, they must send the data to us. That is, if the data of the colleagues is not available, the performance that the cabinet's approval declared should be guaranteed will not happen. It is only based on the performance that now happens based on the documents, for example, a waybill or status can be mentioned in the area of the in-city sector, based on in-city transport documents.

Very well.

Mr. Dr. Mostafa Nakhaee, a member of the Energy Commission of the Parliament, is on the phone with us.

Mr. Dr. Nakhaee, good morning.

Hello. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And I also say hello and good time to you, the guests of the program, and the great nation of Iran.

Mr. Dr., I think in the past month, maybe 30 or 40 days, we have been with you at least, I think, three times regarding this discussion of fuel management systems. But Mr. Dr., I don't know until when we should continue. The radio and television are fulfilling their duty; they are putting this on their agenda, they are following up and following up, but nothing specific is happening. Perhaps one of the areas that should enter very seriously without reservation is the discussion of the parliament. Now, Mr. Dr. mentioned, for example, as an example, that the two data authorities and the information that should be sent are not sending. Supervision and implementation are not seen on them now, and therefore the people to their representatives in the parliament, they say, and want that Mr. Member of Parliament, you should follow this, and it should be implemented.

We will hear your answer.

Well, first of all, I thank the honorable voice and vision of the country, which has really been very good and serious in various energy issues, especially this Sepehtan issue. I must tell you that the part of the work that is the responsibility of the parliament, if we want to point out that part of the law-making, well, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, in my opinion, has done a good job in this section. It has set the legal obligation for Sepehtan, for online waybills. Yes, in the Seventh Plan law, but in confirmation of your words, I think we should follow the issue with a little more seriousness, at least in the supervisory area.

Of course, as far as I know, Commission 90 has held meetings in this regard, and since it is an inter-sectoral issue, meaning it is related to different commissions, naturally, both the Construction Commission and those of us who are in the Energy Commission, for the sake of reducing fuel smuggling, we should have had more precise supervision. Of course, we have programs, we have held meetings in this regard, God willing, in the future, we will receive a report from the executive branch. However, I think that now in that law-making section, what kind of rail-setting and legal obligation, in my opinion, the parliament did well, both in providing the implementation platform with market optimization.

In fact, in a way, it has provided that from the site of fuel conservation, resources can be obtained from Mr. Dr. colleagues, and they can better implement and execute this work.

Mr. Dr. Nakhaee, one discussion is the law-making discussion, which you say that the parliament has fulfilled its duty, but right now, many experts, right now, Mr. Hassanvand also mentioned that our laws do not have the necessary guarantee of execution. That is, we have no laws that if the responsible device does not fulfill its duties – the supervisory discussion is in its place – but if the device does not fulfill its duties, several years have passed of the program, and these things have happened, nothing specific happens, no matter how much everyone is shouting that the treasury and national interests are being wasted, and there is no reaction. What is your opinion on this?

I, Mr. Dr., I think that if we want to consider a criminal penalty for each legal clause, this may not be worthy of a legislative system. When a task is assigned to an executive body and an official, well, supervisory bodies such as the Inspection Organization and the Audit Court can enter from the aspect of inaction; the crime is also foreseen in the law. That is, if a task is defined and an official, for any reason, does not perform that act, meaning inaction, a punishment has been foreseen for inaction in the law, and I think that we don't have many legal shortcomings from this point of view. It is not very appropriate to be explicitly mentioned in the law that we for the

Dr., I think that we have already gone beyond these words when billions of liters are being wasted every month, every year from our national interests, from the treasury. I think we should reform the procedure and be a little more serious.

I have a suggestion, Mr. Seyfi, because I see that you are following this Sepehtan program very well. The radio and television have invited the parliament, the traffic police, the distribution company, the Road Maintenance Organization, and the relevant executive bodies. I think that once, invite the supervisory bodies, too. That is, see the Inspection Organization, in any case, such an act has been defined; why don't they take action for their inaction? Let the supervisory body also come and answer. It's not bad.

We, Mr. Dr., have followed up and invited them, but the question is, why doesn't the parliament intervene?

The parliament, in my opinion, has intervened. See, we have been a year since the Seventh Plan, and naturally, we also understand that a big issue like online waybills or Sepehtan may not be an issue that can be implemented in a few months. We have many problems in implementation, of course, inter-organizational coordination, especially here. I also mentioned in the program that cases where implementation requires the coordination of several devices always present a challenge in the implementation. We always have problems in teamwork, unfortunately, our supervision is more in terms of cooperation than in terms of [punishment]. That is, we hold meetings, we feel the lack of coordination, and we give time for the devices to go and create the necessary coordination with each other; we facilitate the implementation path. Now, these meetings have also been held. Now, probably, Mr. Yousefi told you, as far as I know, Commission 90 has held meetings; the Construction Commission has also done the same. The part that is related to fuel smuggling and we should follow in the Energy Commission, which is a very important topic, you see, about 50% of our gas or diesel that we distribute in the country is in the transport sector.

That is, something close to 60 million liters, and if the online waybills are implemented for the 60 million liters of diesel distribution per day in the transport sector, well, it can help a lot in saving.

Mr. Dr., you said that both the Construction Commission, the Energy Commission, and Article 90, so, in the parliament, there is a need for all the commissions, and in the government, there is a need for synergy of the devices. But Mr. Dr., now our people, our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program, which is at least one or two programs of the radio and television per week are dedicated to this topic, live discussion-based programs in addition to reports, I mean, I really don't think there is a period when, based on that system of issues, the radio and television has come to work based on the upstream documents, and these issues have been seriously followed up. But we are doing everything we can, but we see no reaction. Finally, we don't know what to do. Who should finally come to work, and finally, shake up this story?

Now, because I didn't have the opportunity to see the program today.

Mr. The last statistics that the friends have given in the Road Maintenance and Police, do they give the information to the distribution company or not?

No, unfortunately, Mr. Dr., that's the whole point: Why doesn't the parliament call these friends now and say, "Hey, you are not fulfilling your legal duties?"

Then, Mr. Dr., you say, we, we have been since 1998, now, five or six years have passed, and still everyone is following up, and nothing is happening. This is undermining our management system altogether.

It is one issue and, predictably, those who, in any case, and I think that, unfortunately, the same lack of coordination and lack of will in these executive devices is unfortunately not. I accept that part of the problem is in the parliament; we should have more supervision and more follow-up in this regard, and definitely, God willing, it will be on the agenda. But really, the supervisory bodies should also, yes, definitely, we will try, God willing, we are at your service.

Mr. Dr., if possible, please stay with us. I will ask you a few more questions.

Mr. Hassanvand, the conditions I mentioned, nothing is happening, that is, despite the fact that we have been following up a lot from the parliament, from the government, I mean, again, I emphasize, there has never been in the history of radio and television, that radio and television would come and put the upstream documents, the system of issues of the country, in the middle of things. And the things that are related to the interests of the people, to follow them this seriously, but right now, I am saying it transparently, some of the devices, well, unfortunately, they are not cooperating. No matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should we do, finally? As an expert, you have definitely studied, researched, and seen the trend in other countries. In your opinion, what should we do so that at least we go and follow up?

They generally try to use public oversight in the Ukrainian system; that is, the performance of organizations or the promises. The programs are so clearly defined that even an ordinary person can assess the performance of the government, the president, the organization, the ministries, it is not like that now. At present, the Seventh Plan we have ahead is a really precise and cohesive plan. I will give an example only for this case; it is completely clear. See, we wanted to implement Sepehtan; in Article 46, clause A, we announced the Organization for the Optimization of Fuel Consumption… excuse me, the Strategic Energy Management, the word is difficult; we have to repeat it. From the merger of three organizations that already exist, the articles of association of this organization must be announced within three months, and a series of activities must be carried out.

That is, in June of last year, when the Seventh Plan was actually announced, the expectation was that the government would announce the articles of association by September; this work has not been done, it has taken a year, and recently, these articles of association have been announced, with their problems, but it is a merger of the Organization for the Optimization of Fuel Consumption, the Organization for the Optimization and Efficiency of Energy, and the Fuel Headquarters has not been done. That is, we are still parallel to them, so I, the expert, or ordinary people, also understand that the government has defaulted in this case. So, public oversight can be used.

In the next step, and section B, public oversight, Mr. Dr., now, you tell the people to do public oversight, given the past experiences, the current conditions. How practical is this statement?

In fact, I say that these indicators help both the observer and the general public, to the people, that now, when you say, "Oh, 20 million liters," I am right. What is now called, now, a lot is the smuggling of fuel and, in any case, waste, and these things. Well, if it is up to the people, that they are happy to solve the problem today, I really don't think that people now have that ability or that capacity is provided for them, that they want to come to work, and otherwise, the people are happy that this issue is solved.

Well, the expectations from the members of parliament, who are in contact with the people themselves, and the supervisory organizations, are that we should express our expectations and desires specifically. When these expectations have legal requirements, it is easier to follow up. That is, a member of parliament who may express an opinion on the smallest matters in the parliament now has indicators at hand, meaning that he can completely say about the performance of the optimization sector.

You mean, Mr. Dr., that everyone should come to work, so that this is created, so that it becomes a bigger social concern. But now, there is a legal platform. Now, let me also mention section two of Article 46, which in practice states that the comprehensive program for the supply and allocation of energy factors should be announced within 6 years, 6 months, which has also been a default and has not been announced and again, in more detail, the second part states that the fuel allowance is only allocated at stations located on the route, with an electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and the country.

— END OF ENGLISH TRANSLATION —

Gemma 3 27B (truncates before ending):

Okay, here's the English translation of the provided Persian television news transcript. I've aimed for accuracy and natural-sounding English, preserving the nuances of the original as much as possible. It's a lengthy transcript, so this is a comprehensive translation.

— START OF TRANSLATION —

(Intro Music & Visuals)

Host: You are joining us for the Economy Table program. I invite you to watch the economic scene with my colleague, Mr. Seyfi. Please, come forward. Welcome. Thank you, Ms. Khalaji, and good day to all our dear viewers. Welcome to the Economy Table program. If you are interested in today's discussion, which is about the energy governance of our country, please stay with us on the News Network.

Host: Greetings and renewed greetings to our esteemed viewers. As you were informed in the 2 PM news headlines, today on the Economy Table program, we intend to discuss a vital issue in the field of energy governance in the country. We will be discussing with our guests. First, the Sapahtan and Sipad systems, which aim to increase transparency; second, hidden energy subsidies, which consume more than 3,500 trillion Tomans of the country's resources annually; and third, Article 4 and 6 of the Seventh Development Program, which promised to create intelligent energy governance. Unfortunately, months after the implementation of these programs, we haven't seen any tangible results from these systems. And the question arises for everyone: isn't it time to modernize our country's energy management through precise institutionalization? We intend to discuss these issues with our guests.

Host: In the studio, we are joined by Dr. Mehdi Hassanvand, a respected energy economist, and Mr. Abuazar Yousefi, the esteemed Head of Customer Relations at the Smart Fuel System. We will also have other guests joining us in person, online, and by phone. Mr. Hassanvand, greetings and respect, and welcome again.

Dr. Hassanvand: Thank you for the time you've given me, and greetings to all our dear viewers.

Host: Mr. Yousefi, a very warm welcome.

Mr. Yousefi: In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Greetings to you, the capable host, and greetings to all dear compatriots who are watching and following this program.

Host: Mr. Yousefi, let's begin with you. We are reviewing reports, news, and messages from our compatriots in the energy sector, and many are complaining about the lack of coordination between the fuel card and actual consumption. Given your position, does your system have an answer to this criticism, or have any specific corrections or actions been taken in this regard?

Mr. Yousefi: First, let me explain the process that actually happens, from the time a smart fuel card is related to the fleet to the point where the fleet owner or operator can use it, to create transparency so that citizens know what is happening. In the oil sector, for oil and gas-powered fleets, we allocate quotas based on a process involving stakeholders and authorities to extract and verify the fleet's performance. After verification, it is sent to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, and we charge the smart fuel card for the fleet. This process happens both within and outside the city. There are two main authorities: one for outside the city and one for within the city.

Mr. Yousefi: The main authority outside the city is the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization. Within the city, it's the municipalities and village administrations. These two main authorities, based on specific timeframes and periods that we reached in the working group, extract fleet information. Based on that information, they announce it to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company during specific time periods, and the National Company, as a mere depositor of performance, performs this action based on a specific time schedule.

Host: Now, can you tell us what percentage of gas stations are currently connected to these systems, both Sapahtan and Sipad?

Mr. Yousefi: Look, a resolution was passed by the Council of Ministers in 2013, a resolution in 2022, and the Seventh Development Program laws were all in line with launching this scheme, making it more transparent, and what will happen to the fleet. Based on performance, the performance that was announced in 1993 was based on transport documents and GPS. Both of these must be together to extract performance. Since 1993, there has been an obligation for two authorities to perform. Despite the fact that they were extracting performance based on transport documents and equipping fleets with GPS, friends came along in 1998 and the Economic Council issued a resolution for the Road Maintenance Organization in the out-of-city sector, requiring it to implement the GPS system, which was designed as Sapahtan in the out-of-city sector. Initially, it was necessary to design and equip the equipment and systems on the fleet and, based on the data extracted, send it to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company for allocation.

Mr. Yousefi: Let me add a point here: Sapahtan may not be just for fuel performance; it may have other functions with different stakeholders. Each of these stakeholders can benefit from it according to the nature of their mission. So, in the fuel sector, this is an obligation that must be fulfilled.

Host: What percentage of our gas stations are connected to these systems today?

Mr. Yousefi: Data related to the Sapahtan system has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company to date. Meaning, we are still allocating fuel based on transport documents based on the 1993 Council of Ministers resolution, and that too is done on a temporary basis and based on specific periods.

Host: Mr. Hassanvand, Mr. Doctor. Over 56 years have passed, and at least in the past year, we've repeatedly discussed these issues in various programs and put them on the agenda. Yet, the same process continues. It seems there isn't the same seriousness as before. At least, we haven't seen anything specific happen. Before we delve into the reasons for this, let us ask: what is the real cause of this situation? If these Sipad and Sapahtan systems are not implemented, how much extra fuel are we consuming annually, or perhaps it's smuggling, or simply poor management?

Dr. Hassanvand: To answer this question, I will present four indicators to us Iranians: first, global performance indicators; second, the experience we had in 2008 with targeted subsidies; third, expert opinions; and fourth, the goals set in the Seventh Development Program, which promise intelligent energy governance. Unfortunately, despite the passage of months, we haven't seen any tangible output from these systems.

Dr. Hassanvand: The average fuel consumption for road fleets worldwide is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Estimates show that in Iran, this number is around 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, part of this is due to the aging of the fleet, part may be due to empty returns, but a large part is due to the lack of establishment of this system and the lack of monitoring of fuel consumption, which is not being used to create national wealth. This ultimately leads to an increase in energy intensity, meaning we are giving energy, fuel, and gas to our fleet and industry, but not producing as much as the world average.

Dr. Hassanvand: Our second indicator is our experience in 2008 when we fully controlled consumption simply by implementing the fuel card without price adjustments. Consumption, which was around 75 million liters for gasoline and similarly for gas oil, was projected to reach nearly 90 million liters today if the fuel card and targeting hadn't been implemented. Within two years, with the establishment of the fuel card and then a price policy, this 75 million liters per day dropped to around 60 million liters, a 15% reduction. We can apply this to the 65 million liters currently in the gas oil sector. This could save us something like 3 to 4 billion dollars.

Dr. Hassanvand: The next point is expert opinions. In various studies, people in refineries, distribution companies, and their managers estimate that they can reduce consumption by 15 to 20 million liters by establishing these systems, which is equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars per year. If we consider 20 million liters per year, and if we implement it daily, we can manage our consumption in the transport sector. For gas oil, it's about 65 million liters per day, and for gasoline, it's over 13 million. This is also related to optimizing the transport sector. I looked at the number, considering 30 to 50 cents per liter, it's still between 5 to 7 billion dollars a year that can be saved in optimizing consumption. If I want to equate this to oil production, it's something that is in Table 10 of the Seventh Program, claiming that we want to optimize and reduce consumption by 240,000 barrels in the transport sector after 4 years. This would require approximately 6 billion dollars in investment to add this production to the country, while here, with systems that may not cost more than a few million dollars to establish, with more political will and cooperation, you can reduce costs and increase national wealth.

Host: Mr. Hassanvand, we are saying that if this system is connected, we have management, and according to many experts, even the imbalance can be resolved, and we can even become an exporter, and many problems will be solved. But for years, we have been saying this. We have talked about it in various programs. But this hasn't happened. What is the main reason for this, in your opinion?

Dr. Hassanvand: We need to look at this from a governance perspective. All governing components are effective. We have laws, which are made in our parliament. The law has three stages: first, the enactment of the law, which we legislate in parliament; second, the implementation of the law, which the government implements; and third, the enforcement of the law, which is being implemented in foreign countries.

Dr. Hassanvand: I'll give you an example. In foreign countries, if you run a red light, there is a law that you must be fined. You are fined, but the difference between us and foreigners is that when you are fined in a foreign country, the money is deducted from your account after a month. You have a month to appeal, and after it is approved, the fine is deducted without requesting it from you. The driver realizes that if I don't follow the law, I will be fined.

Dr. Hassanvand: The problem is that we enact laws, implement them, and then abandon the work. We don't follow up. There is a lack of follow-up in the government and in parliament.

Host: Mr. Yousefi, returning to your previous question, what percentage of gas stations are currently connected to these systems?

Mr. Yousefi: Let me clarify one point. These systems don't need to be installed in gas stations; they need to be installed on the fleet. The data that is extracted from Sapahtan and Sipad comes to us, and it is possible to extract fuel based on that. Currently, no data is coming to us from the gas stations. That is, the two authorities haven't sent the data. According to the law, they should be doing this. There is also a discussion about enforcement guarantees, which I mentioned earlier. We rarely see strong backing for enforcement guarantees in our laws.

Host: Mr. Nakhai, Mustafa Nakhai, a member of the Energy Commission of Parliament, is joining us by phone. Mr. Nakhai, hello, good time.

Mr. Nakhai: In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Greetings to you, the esteemed host, the guests of the program, and the great nation of Iran.

Host: Mr. Nakhai, I think in the past month, perhaps 30 or 40 days ago, we have been with you at least three times regarding these fuel management issues. But Mr. Nakhai, I don't know how long we should continue. The media is fulfilling its duty, it has put this on its agenda, and it is following up. But nothing specific is happening. Perhaps one of the areas that needs to be seriously addressed is the parliament. Now, Mr. Nakhai, you mentioned that the authorities who should send the data are not sending it. What is your response?

Mr. Nakhai: Well, first, I thank the entire team at IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) for its very good and serious involvement in various energy issues, especially this issue of Sapahtan. I think the parliament has done a good job in terms of legislation. It has set legal obligations for Sapahtan and online bills of lading. I believe that the parliament should monitor more seriously in this area. Of course, as far as I know, the Article 90 Committee has held meetings on this issue, and since it is an inter-sectoral issue, related to various committees, naturally, both the Infrastructure Committee and we in the Energy Commission should monitor more closely the issue of fuel smuggling.

Host: Mr. Nakhai, you are saying that the parliament has done its job in terms of legislation, but many experts are saying that your laws do not have the necessary enforcement guarantees. That is, we do not have laws that, if the responsible authority does not fulfill its duties, something happens after years of the program and these things. People are shouting that national wealth and public funds are being wasted, but no reaction is shown. What is your opinion?

Mr. Nakhai: I think it's not very appropriate to have a criminal penalty for every legal clause. When an action is assigned to an executive body and a responsible person, the supervisory bodies, such as the General Inspection Organization and the Court of Administrative Justice, can enter from the perspective of dereliction of duty. The penalty for dereliction of duty is foreseen in the law. I think we don't have much of a problem with the law in this regard.

Host: But Mr. Nakhai, we've been saying this for years. Despite the fact that billions of liters of national wealth are being wasted every day, every month, every year, due to this imbalance and problem, we are not seeing any reaction. What should be done? As an expert who has studied and researched other countries, what do you think should be done so that at least we can follow up?

Dr. Hassanvand: I think we should try to use public oversight in the Ukrainian system. That is, the performance of organizations or the goals of the program should be so transparent and clear that an ordinary person can also assess the performance of the government, the president, organizations, and ministries. Currently, we don't have that. I suggest that people be involved and that the expectations and demands be clearly stated. When these expectations have a legal basis, it becomes easier to follow up.

Host: Mr. Nakhai, you mentioned that the legal framework exists. But now, people, our audience, our compatriots who are watching this program, who have seen at least one or two programs a week on the media dedicated to this issue, and the dialogue programs, live programs, and reports, really don't think there has been a time when the media has come forward with the issues of the country's system and the issues related to the people's interests so seriously and followed up so closely. But we are doing everything we can, but we don't see any reaction. Ultimately, we don't know what to do. Who should finally come forward and shake things up?

Dr. Hassanvand: I think the problem is that there is a lack of will in these executive bodies. A part of the problem is also in the parliament. We must monitor more and follow up more in this regard. And hopefully, it will be on the agenda.

Host: Mr. Yousefi, if you could, I have a few more questions for you.

(The program continues with further discussion and questions.)

— END OF TRANSLATION —

Important Notes:

• • Cultural Context: I've tried to maintain the formal tone and respectful language common in Iranian media.
  • Technical Terms: I've kept the Persian terms (Sapahtan, Sipad, Tomans) as they are, as they are specific to the context.
  • Nuance: I've attempted to capture the subtle nuances of the conversation, including the frustration and urgency expressed by the participants.
  • Length: This is a long translation, reflecting the length of the original transcript.
  • Accuracy: I have done my best to provide an accurate and faithful translation. However, without being a native speaker of Persian, there may be minor interpretations.

I hope this translation is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions or need further assistance.

And finally, Google Translate:

Our country's workers are the Japanese World Championships that will be held in September. Mehdi Ziaei, IRIB News Agency. Thank you for your support, dear viewers. Today is Tuesday, June 3, the 7th of the 7th month of Dhul-Hijjah. I would like to inform you that sunset in Tehran will be at 19:16, sunset at 19:37, and midnight tonight will be at 11:10. Thank you very much for joining us. I invite you to watch the Economy Desk with my colleague, Mr. Seifi. Please come. Hello, thank you, Ms. Khalji, and hello and good time to you, dear viewers. Welcome to the Economy Desk program today. If you are interested in today's discussion about the country's energy governance, join us on the news network. Hello and greetings again to you, dear viewers. As you were informed in the titles of the 14th news section, today in the Economy Desk program, we plan to discuss a vital issue in the field of the country's energy governance with our guests. Let's discuss and debate the first, the Sepahtan and Sipat systems, which aim to bring transparency. Let's discuss and debate the first, the Sepahtan and Sipat systems, which aim to bring transparency. Let's discuss and debate the first, the Sakhtan and Sipad systems, which aim to bring transparency. Second, the hidden energy subsidies, which consume more than 3500 trillion Tomans of the country's resources annually, and Articles 4 and 6. The Seventh Progress Program, which promised to create smart energy governance, unfortunately, after months of watching these programs, no tangible results have been seen from these systems. This question has arisen for everyone: Isn't it time to update our country's energy management by establishing precise institutions? We intend to discuss the issues I mentioned with the guests in the studio. We are at the service of Dr. Mehdi Hassan Band, an esteemed expert in energy economics, and Mr. Abuzar Yousefi, the esteemed head of customer relations for the smart fuel system. Other guests will join us in person, online, and by phone. Mr. Hassan Went. Greetings, respect, and welcome back to your service. Thank you for your time. And greetings to our dear viewers. Peace be upon you, Mr. Yousefi. You are very welcome. Greetings, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I greet you, a capable presenter. And also greetings to all our dear compatriots who have our voice and image and follow and monitor this program. Greetings to you, Mr. Yousefi. Let's start with His Highness. Now and then, reports, news, and messages. When we look at our compatriots in the energy sector, many of them complain about the lack of coordination between fuel cards and actual consumption. In any case, considering your position, Your Excellency, does your system have a response to this criticism or have you taken any specific corrections or actions in this regard? Yes, first of all, it is appropriate for me to explain the process that actually happens until a smart fuel card related to the fleet reaches a charging stage and the fleet owner or operator can use it, so that transparency is created so that compatriots know what is happening. In the oil sector, the oil and gas-burning fleet, to which we are actually allocating quotas, happens based on a process that exists between stakeholders and trustees to gather the information and performance of the fleets. Based on that, a verification statement is made, after verification, they send it to the National Iranian Oil Distribution and Processing Company, and we recharge the fleet's smart fuel card. This process takes place in the inner and outer city areas, meaning there are two main custodians, one is the outer city area and the other is the inner city area. The outer city area whose main custodian is the Road Management and Road Transport Organization, yes. Inside the city, the municipality and village organizations, these two main custodians, based on specific time intervals and specific periods that are agreed upon in the working group. We have arrived at the information of the fleets, they feel it, based on that information, in specific time periods, they announce to the National Iranian Petroleum Distribution Company and the National Distribution Company as the sole depositor of the performance declared in the fleet's profile and smart fuel card, which is based on a specific time period. Yes, now you can say how much. The systems are now both the Sephet and Sipat connected to the fuel stations. Yes, look at how many percent of them are connected now. The Cabinet Resolution in 2014, the Resolution in 2014, and the Seventh Development Plan Law were laws that came in line with the survey plan, made this plan transparent, and it is supposed to happen to the fleet based on the performance, the performance that was actually announced in 2014, based on the shipping documents and GPS, that is, these two must be together in order for the performance to be achieved. Since 2014, it has been a task that two trustees had to do. Despite the fact that they were conducting performance statistics based on shipping documents, they were equipping the fleet with GPS. Now, friends, in 2019, the Economic Council issued a resolution for the Highways Organization in the suburban area, which had to implement the GPS that was designed in the suburban area, called the Sepahtan system. Yes, initially, the equipment and system had to be designed and equipped on the fleet, and based on the data that was extracted, it was sent to the National Broadcasting Company until the event was allocated. I have a parenthetical point to make here that the Sepahtan system may not be just for the fleet or for fuel performance, it may have other functions that have different purposes and different benefits. Each of these functions can be used according to the type of mission, so in the fuel area, this was a task that had to be done. So now that we are talking today, how many of our stations are connected to these systems? The relevant data has not been sent to the National Iranian Oil Distribution Company based on the Sepahtan system to date, meaning that we are still allocating fuel based on the transportation documents that were issued by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2014, and that too in a cumulative manner and based on the specific periods of Mr. Hassan and Mr. Doctor. Something around 56 years have passed so far, and at least in the last year, we have repeatedly gone through various programs on these issues, we have made this our duty, the managers of the complex have repeatedly planned on this issue in various programs, and various programs have been implemented, but this process is still continuing. What we understand is that there is still no seriousness, meaning at least in this period that we have not seen anything special happen. Before we enter into this discussion, sir, what is the real reason for this situation? Tell us, if these Sepahtan and Sepahtan systems are not implemented, first of all, how much excess fuel do we have per year, or should we call it smuggling or even bad management? To answer this question, I will put four indicators in front of us, Iranians. One is the world performance index. The next indicator is the experience that we gained in 2009 in targeting subsidies. The third indicator is expert opinions. And the last indicator or indicator that can help us is the discussion of the Seventh Plan and goal setting, which is in this field. Well, I searched the internet. The average consumption of the world's road fleet is about 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Yes, estimates show that in Iran this number is about 65 liters per 100 kilometers. Certainly, part of this is related to the wear and tear of the fleet. A part may have been empty on the way back from the fleet, but the main part is due to the lack of establishment of this system and the lack of monitoring. In fact, it is fuel consumption that is not actually spent on gross national product. This will ultimately lead to a decrease or increase in energy intensity. That is, we have our fleet and our industry. We provide energy, fuel, and diesel, but not as much as the average produced in the world within our own Iran. This first indicator and the second indicator, we have an experience in 2009 that completely controlled consumption by simply implementing fuel cards without setting prices. The consumption that was there that year went from 75 million liters for gasoline and similarly for gas at the beginning to nearly 90 million liters. The estimates were that if the fuel card had not been implemented and it had not been targeted, today in the gasoline sector alone it would be about 18 million liters. We used to consume 0 million liters, yes. Only within two years, with the aim of establishing a fuel card and then with a pricing policy, this about 75 million liters per day increased to about 60 million liters, meaning it was not only controlled but also reduced, it decreased by 15 percent. So we can consider this number compared to the 65 million liters that are currently in the diesel sector. Something like 3 million or 4 billion dollars here. We can save money. The next issue is expert opinions, that is, in medicine. Different people in the Petroleum Distribution Company, their managers, their estimates are that they can reduce consumption by 15 to 20 million liters due to the establishment of these systems, which will again be equivalent to 5 to 6 billion dollars per year. 20 million liters, million liters, yes, per year, if they implement it day by day, we can manage our consumption. In fact, in the transportation sector, not for gasoil, it is about 65 million liters per day. For gasoline, there are more than 13 transportation and transportation optimization sectors. I looked at that number. If we consider gasoil at, for example, 30 cents to 50 cents per liter, we can save between 5 and 7 billion dollars per year in the field of consumption optimization. If I want to consider the same number as the equivalent of oil production, that is, there is an indicator that is included in Table 10 of the Seventh Plan and claims that in the transportation sector, after 4 years, we want to reduce consumption by 240 thousand barrels. So if we want to spend on developing fields, approximately 6 billion dollars will be needed to be invested so that we can achieve such production. Let's add to the country's production, while here with a system that may not total a few million dollars, establishing these and more requires political will, cooperation and synergy. You can actually reduce costs and increase national wealth. Mr. Doctor, we are now saying that if this system is connected, we will have management. Many experts believe that the imbalance will be eliminated. We can even become exporters and solve a whole range of problems. But we have been saying this slogan for years. We have talked about it in various programs. But this does not happen. What is the main reason in your opinion? So we should look at it from the perspective of the Ukrainians. The law we pass has three stages: one is the enactment of the law, which is passed in our parliament. Let's say the second stage is law enforcement, where the government enforces the law. The third stage, which is being implemented a lot in foreign countries, is law enforcement. I'll give you an example. If you run a red light, there is a law that says you have to be fined. You will also be fined. But the difference between us and foreigners is that when you are fined abroad, it is deducted from your account after a month. Now you have a month to protest and after it is approved, your fine is enforced without your being asked. Ultimately, the driver comes to the conclusion that if I don't comply with the law, I will be fined. The issue of law enforcement is that we have been obliging the government to do something for years in the sixth, fifth, and seventh plans. We have a good organization and law, but in implementation, we don't have any indicators and supervision. In that area, one of the main duties of the parliament now is to supervise the implementation of laws. When we talk about the law of the sixth plan, 10%. It should have fully supervised the institutions while implementing the parliament's program. Now, I will continue the discussion, for example, in this area, which institutions have their tasks determined after one year, and this is clear. Well, after a year, when that organization does not implement it, it must be monitored, reprimanded, and the principle must be examined again to see why it did not happen. Unfortunately, we enact the law, promulgate it, seek implementation, and then abandon it, and we do not follow up on the work. It seems that we have a lack of action both in the Turkish government and in the parliament. Yes, when the issue becomes a governance aspect, all components of governance are effective. Mr. Yousef, I'll go back to the same previous question, now with regard to the goals of Sipan. What percentage or number of our gas stations are connected to this system? Can you give us? Okay, look, I have one thing to say about the fact that these systems cannot be installed at stations. They must be on the fleet. The system that is installed in the fleet and the data that is extracted from the SIPAT and the SEPHTN comes to us. At the station, it is actually capable of harvesting fuel. And it has the capability that currently no data is coming to us, meaning that those two custodians do not send us data related to the GPS systems. Basically, according to the law, you have to do this. A discussion that Mr. Doctor also mentioned now and I will continue it. In another way, it is a discussion of executive guarantees. Maybe if there is even supervision, we have rarely seen in the law that executive guarantees come with strong support and follow this. If the organization and the custodian do not do this, what will happen to it? We have now organized various meetings and programs. You have worked hard to prepare them and we have come to a discussion. Part of the discussion is about synergy between organizations. Organizations must, based on the tasks assigned to them by the upstream institutions, definitely have the data at each other's disposal. This agreement will not happen now, maybe in the field of extra-urban or even intra-urban fleets, some fleets are equipped with these systems, why is the data not coming? Where is the problem? Or is it a part that our two trustees should send to you? Yes, two trustees should definitely review the data and conduct a survey and send the data to us based on that data. That is, if it is not the data of friends, in practice, the performance that the Cabinet of Ministers itself announced should be safe, this will not happen solely based on. It is a performance that can now be mentioned based on documents, for example, a bill of lading or a status report. In my intra-urban area, it happened based on intra-urban transportation documents. That's right, Mr. Dr. Mostafa Naghaei, a member of the Parliament's Energy Commission, is on our mobile phone. Mr. Dr. Naghaei, hello, good time. Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Then I would like to extend my greetings and good time to the distinguished guests of the program and the great nation of Iran. Mr. Doctor, I think in the past month, maybe 30 to 40 days, we have been at your service at least three times regarding this issue of fuel management systems. But Mr. Doctor, I don't know how long we should continue. The Iranian Broadcasting Corporation is doing its duty, putting this on its agenda, and it is following up, but nothing special is happening. Perhaps one of the areas that should be taken very seriously, without any pretense, is the parliamentary debate. Now, Mr. Doctor mentioned, for example, two custodians of data and information that they should send are not sending. Executive supervision is not visible on them now. As a rule, people usually tell their representatives in the parliament and want you, Mr. Member of Parliament, to follow up on this and implement it. Let's hear His Highness's response. Well, first of all, I would like to thank the Chairman of the IRIB for really having a very good and serious input into various issues in the energy sector, especially this issue of Sepah Tand. I would like to point out to you that part of the work that is in charge of the parliament, the legislative part, if we want to mention it. Well, in my opinion, the Islamic Consultative Assembly has done a good job in this area and has also set a legal task for Sepah Tan for online waybills in the Seventh Schedule Law. But in confirmation of your order, I think that at least in the area of ​​supervision, we should follow the issue with a little more seriousness. Of course, as far as I know, the Article 90 Commission has had meetings on this issue, and since it is an issue… It is interdepartmental, meaning it is related to different commissions. Naturally, both the Civil Affairs Commission and those of us in the Energy Commission should have had more careful monitoring to reduce fuel smuggling. Of course, we have plans to hold meetings on this matter. God willing, we will receive a report from the executive branch in the future. However, I think that in that legislative sector, what kind of track and legal task did the parliament do well, in terms of optimizing the implementation platform with the market? In fact, it has somehow provided that resources can be obtained from the place of fuel extraction, so that Mr. D. friends can better implement and execute this work. Mr. Dr. Nakhaei, it is a discussion of legislation that you say that the parliament has fulfilled its duty, but just now many experts, Mr. Hassanvand, have also pointed out that our laws do not have the necessary guarantee of implementation. That is, we do not have laws that if the responsible body does not fulfill its duties, then the discussion of supervision is in its place. But sir, if a certain body does not fulfill its duty, how many years have passed since the program and these have passed, nothing special has happened. No matter how much everyone is shouting that Mr. Treasury and national interests are being wasted, there is no reaction. These laws of yours do not have the necessary guarantee of implementation, what is your opinion, Your Excellency? Mr. Dr. I think that we should consider a criminal offense for each legal clause. This is perhaps not really appropriate for the legislative system. When an act is assigned to an executive body and a responsible person, supervisory bodies such as the Inspection Organization of the Court of Appeals can intervene in terms of omission. The offense is foreseen in the law, meaning if an act is defined and the person responsible for any reason does not perform that act, that is, he omitted the act, the punishment for omission of the act is foreseen in the law. I think that we do not have much legal latitude in this regard, so that it is explicitly mentioned in the law. Perhaps, in my opinion, it is not very appropriate for us to boldly say that we have already passed these words when billions of liters per day, per month, per year are being wasted. Our national treasury is being wasted. This imbalance and problem, and I think the procedure should be corrected. I have a more serious suggestion, Mr. Seifi. Since I see that you are following this Sepah Tan program very well, the IRIB has invited the parliament, invited the traffic police, invited the broadcasting company, invited the highways department, invited the relevant executive agencies. I think you should invite the supervisory agencies for once. I mean, look, the inspection organization is defined like this, after all, why don't they take action to stop the act? The supervisory agency itself should be held accountable. It's not bad. We, the doctor, followed up and invited them. But the question is, why doesn't the parliament come in? I think the parliament came in. Look, we've been here for almost a year since the seventh program, and naturally, we understand that a big issue like a bill of lading or a bill of lading might not be something that can be done in a few months. Naturally, there are many problems in implementation. Coordination between agencies, especially here. I also mentioned in that program that there are cases that require coordination between several agencies in implementation. We always face challenges. We always have problems in implementing teamwork. Unfortunately, our supervision is more in terms of cooperation than in terms of… That is not necessarily confrontation and punishment, it means that we hold meetings, we feel the inconsistencies, we give time for the agencies to go and make the necessary coordination with each other, we facilitate the implementation path. Now these meetings have been held. Now, probably, Mr. Yousef told you, as far as I know, the Principle 90 Commission has held meetings, the Civil Affairs Commission has also held meetings, and the section related to fuel smuggling, and we have to follow up on that in the Energy Commission, which is a very important issue. You see, nearly 50% of our oil and gas or diesel that we explain in the country is in the transportation sector, which means something close to 60 million liters, and these 60 million liters per day of oil and gas distribution in the transportation sector. If online waybills become operational, it can help a lot in saving money. Mr. Doctor, you just said that both the Civil Affairs Commission and the Energy Commission are Principle 90, so both the parliament and the government need to have more agencies. But Mr. Doctor, now the people, our audience, our compatriots, are the ones who have this program. They see that at least one or two programs on the IRIB are dedicated to this issue every week, live discussion-oriented programs in addition to reports. I really don't think there is a time when the IRIB has come to the point where it has taken on the task of seriously following up on these issues based on the documents from above. But we are doing everything we can, but we are not seeing any reaction. Finally, we don't know what to do. When should he finally get down to business and finally make a move on this story now because I didn't have the chance to watch the program today. Mr. The latest statistics that friends gave about the road and police, do they give the information to the broadcasting company or not? Unfortunately, Mr. Doctor, the point is this: why doesn't the parliament call these friends now and say, sir, you are not fulfilling your legal duty? Then, Mr. Doctor, you say, "We, we have been following up for five or six years since 2019, and everyone is still following up and nothing is happening. This is questioning our management system as a whole. It's an issue, and those who are, in any case, and I think that unfortunately, this incoherence and the fact that there is no will in these executive bodies are also part of the problem. I admit that in our parliament, we need to monitor more and follow up more on this matter, and it will definitely be on the agenda, God willing. But really, in my opinion, the monitoring apparatus should be more, yes, I will definitely try to be at your service, God willing, Mr. Doctor. If it is possible, I will ask you a few questions again. Mr. Hassanvand. I have mentioned the conditions. Nothing happens. That is, despite the fact that we have repeatedly followed up with the parliament and the government, I mean, I emphasize again that never in the history of the IRIB has the IRIB come to the upper-level documents of the system like this and put the country's issues in the middle of things. That is related to the interests of the people. To follow up seriously like this. But right now, I am making it clear that some of the apparatuses, unfortunately, do not follow up. No matter how much we follow up, nothing happens. What should be done? Finally, as an expert who must have studied three countries, you have done research and you see the process. What do you think we should do so that at least we can follow up? In the Ukrainian system, they often try to use public monitoring, meaning the functions of organizations or that promise. The program should be so clear and clear that even an ordinary person can evaluate the performance of the government of the president and the organization of ministries. This is not the case now. The seventh program that we have ahead of us is really a precise and coherent program. I will give you an example for this very reason. We wanted to implement the new program. In Article 46, paragraph A, we announced the Fuel Consumption Optimization Organization, sorry, the word Optimization Management, Strategic Energy Management. It is difficult to repeat. I claim that the statute of this organization must be notified within 3 months to the 3 organizations that already exist, and a series of activities must be carried out. That is, in June of last year, when the seventh program was actually notified, the expectation was that the government would notify the statute by September. This was not done. It took a year and recently this statute was notified with its own problems, but it has been merged with it. The organizations for optimizing fuel consumption, the Energy Optimization and Efficiency Organization, and the Fuel Headquarters have not been implemented, meaning we have continued to parallel these. Therefore, I, the expert, and ordinary people understand that the government has left an elephant in this matter, so public supervision can be used. In the next step, and regarding public supervision, Mr. Doctor, now you tell the people to conduct public supervision. Considering past experiences, the current conditions are really operational. In fact, I say that these indicators help both the supervisor and the general public. I mean the people. Now, when you say, sir, 20 million liters, I am right. What is being talked about a lot right now is fuel smuggling. And anyway, we have waste. And all of this. Well, if it were up to the people, if the problem were solved today, I really don't think that the people would have that ability or that capacity, that platform would be available for them to express their work. Otherwise, the people, who are God-fearing, have solved this issue. So, the expectations from the members of parliament, who are in contact with the people themselves and the supervisory organizations, are that we actually express our expectations clearly. When these expectations are legally binding, it will be easier to follow up. That is, now a member of parliament who may comment on the most minor issues in the parliament, now has indicators, that is, about the performance of the field of complete optimization, he can say that you nine of you, what you mean, Mr. Doctor, is that everyone should express their work. This can be done in a social moment, but now there is a legal platform. Now I will also mention the second paragraph of Article 46, which practically states that the comprehensive plan for the supply and allocation of energy factors must be announced within 6 years and 6 months. This is again a done deal, not a done deal. And again, in better detail, the second part states that the oil and gas credit quota should be allocated only at the station located on the route with an electronic waybill based on the distance and performance approved by the Ministry of Roads and Interior.

Next we'll examine the Chirp 1 ASR transcript of this Russian-language broadcast.

Gemini 2.5 Pro:

Okay, here's the translation of the television news transcript into English, trying to maintain the original meaning and tone:

"[Inaudible] Hey, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. More than that, I need him to kick me out today, my grandson has a temper, my grass, what's your cow doing on that side [of the river], girls, where are the eggs? He put down glass. Need a lively grandpa, well that's it, don't worry, it's a bit of an unusual situation, but everything is solvable. Meaning, [inaudible] is driving, you'll be left alone, like a Persian cat, you won't get bored with you. To grandpa in the village, take me to the city. Of course not. Soon. On July 29, 1937, Japanese troops captured Beijing. Puyi's appearance in the Northeast was no accident; it was all planned in advance by the Japanese. He was a true Japanese puppet. Mass murders of civilians were happening everywhere then. Russia and China paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and that gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This newsreel was captured by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching 'Parliamentary Hour'. We continue.

Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed at Okhotny Ryad [State Duma building] by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will form the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and to strengthen relations based on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the framework of the parliamentary dimension. Throughout all this time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that peace… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines.

A series of international contacts continued with a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami Emomali, discussed issues of legislative support for the economic relations between the two countries and the strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to provide legislative support for their decisions, said Vyacheslav Volodin. They also discussed the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries. There are many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, to developing relations, to do everything for the legislative [aspect].

Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Special Representative of the Presidents of the Republic for the Development of Relations with Russia, Laureana Facunda Ortega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, stressed Vyacheslav Volodin. He also noted the personal contribution of Ortega Murillo to strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9th, [she] represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that in Nicaragua, they respect the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that great distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship. We try to do everything to reciprocate the steps that you, your country, are taking. Our task is to do everything possible from our side to develop economic relations and to form a legal framework. Despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have come to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied together in the face of common challenges and have done everything in our power to confront them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. It was a great honor for us to attend the festive events on May 9th marking the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to attend this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. He saved us from fascism, Nazism, and we are very grateful for this.

Along with breakfast, a handful of pills. Dietary supplements are a trend among those who are watching their health. But they are usually prescribed independently, without the recommendations of specialists. Colorful advertising. The labels promise to improve health. But what's in the composition? That's the question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of dietary supplements are incomparably lower than for medicines. They can be bought on any online [platform]. The State Duma is bringing order to the sphere. Deputies have passed a law that improves the regulation of the dietary supplement market. My colleague Tatyana Tuktarova will continue the topic.

Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozinc, and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap, and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe is, of course, kept secret. Dietary supplements have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with products for sports nutrition. Now they produce about 80 items, paying special attention to raw materials. Each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes verifying the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances that are stated on the label of the finished product. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

Whether a product has passed state registration can be found on the 'Honest Sign' marking. It must be on every package of biologically active supplement. By downloading the 'Honest Sign' application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And a digital passport of the product opens, which indicates when and by whom it was produced, the composition, expiration dates, and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold as dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought online on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo [Russian Quality System] specialists identified more than 400 products during monitoring that contained prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to light narcotics. These are sales without the 'Honest Sign', not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation, and either circumventing the labeling of biologically active additives under the slogan 'products for beauty and health', or sports nutrition, but not declared and registered as additives. That's where we find a lot of things. A high-profile scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised customers to lower cholesterol, but in reality, the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in the hospital. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores for about 3,000 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceuticals in the composition of biologically active supplements is the most common type of counterfeit dietary supplements – says the head of the Department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of RUDN. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines with active components of dietary supplements, and how they act, no one can predict or foresee, that is, this is very often observed for such biologically active additives, as a means to increase potency for men, weight loss products and various sports, again, biologically active additives for sports, these are the three categories that are very often counterfeited on the market.

It was possible to ban the sale of dangerous food additives only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims can grow. And a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for the rapid adoption of measures against biologically active additives that do not have state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and to which there are claims for quality. Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare] will have the opportunity to block pages of sites containing unreliable information about [them] without going to court. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active additives. Now doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any dietary supplement, since they are not in clinical guidelines and standards of care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe dietary supplements to patients in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of medicines and food products, compatibility of additives and the same medicines, so that the right time to drink them, so that they do not antagonize each other or strengthen the opposite effect, so here you need a doctor, here, when it comes to the question of the disease, the list of permitted dietary supplements will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include additives that meet the criteria established by the government, there should be a register of biologically active additives, which will be recommended for… to prescribe, again, officially registered and permitted dietary supplements for the treatment or for the prevention of any diseases, everything outside this permitted, naturally, everything outside registration, everything will be declared outside the law and advertising of this kind – additives will be prohibited.

According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary micronutrients and vitamins. Biologically active additives, helping to eliminate the deficit, are already an integral part of the life of modern man, [they] believe their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making that we have made with you, and it seems to me that this will go to the security of our country and the safety of our patients. The bill regulating the turnover of biologically active additives was adopted by deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025.

On June 1, on Children's Day, the summer health campaign starts throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the issue of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, the protection of children's health is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted repeated appeals to the Chairman of the Government related to the organization of children's recreation. Deputies pointed out the need to implement the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet. Of the twenty points, only eight were fully implemented, another eight were in the process of implementation, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issue of developing possible mechanisms for returning to parents part of the funds for purchased vouchers to children's camps. Regarding the support measures for the camps themselves, deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate that was previously converted from children's camps, most of which is in private ownership. Here are a few more questions that parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects did not allocate quotas for the health improvement and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions made changes to their legislation regarding the implementation of educational work programs. And programs [are necessary]. It was noted that at the federal and regional levels, it is necessary to take measures to increase the accessibility of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are insufficient. Please tell us, what are people talking about? [They talk about] ways to reduce the cost of children's recreation. We raised issues related to ensuring that the facilities that exist today on the Black Sea coast are maximally involved in organizing affordable and safe recreation for children. We raised issues that mean that we did not just voice them, but that we will be monitoring the quality of their implementation. Currently, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions, in order to request additional information from the field. Within the framework of the regional week, each of us in our region will conduct additional work with visits to children's camps, with visits to schools where recreation is organized, on which the ministry reports today, so that the whole picture in the country is as realistic as possible, and, of course, for each family, the question of the cost of the voucher, the question of the availability of the opportunity to purchase it in open access, because the number of places where children can relax and the demand that comes from families are in completely different parameters, the demand is much greater.

Volodin, in his electoral district in the Saratov region, visited the village of Sokolovy, where, together with teachers and parents of students, he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena. Sports facilities were built within the framework of the deputy's project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education classes, to engage in sections throughout the year. Previously, there was no such opportunity. Much work also for… Guardianship over the military town, Sokolovy, with his support, landscaping was carried out, a modern polyclinic was built, a school sports stadium, an overpass that connects the village with the city center, and sidewalks were repaired, yards of houses were put in order. Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428. in Saratov. He familiarized himself with the completion of the work on landscaping the territory. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma to the doctors, mid-level and junior staff of the military hospital for their high professionalism in providing medical assistance to participants in the special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. The country, they sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they do not need anything.

That's all for now. You were watching the "Parliamentary Hour" program. See you on the air.

[Switching topics abruptly] In Finland, they really don't like to remember the monstrous crimes committed during the Second World War. The Finnish army was equipped by practically all of Europe. It felt like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army, together with the German one, to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland pursued a pronounced policy of genocide. Regarding my lawsuit, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities [are] of the government of Meloni, and Meloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with it. Therefore, we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24 [inaudible].

The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."

Gemini 2.5 Flash Thinking:

Okay, here's the translation of the television news transcript into English, trying to maintain the original meaning and tone:

"[Inaudible] Hey, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. More than that, I need him to kick me out today, my grandson has a temper, my grass, what's your cow doing on that side [of the river], girls, where are the eggs? He put down glass. Need a lively grandpa, well that's it, don't worry, it's a bit of an unusual situation, but everything is solvable. Meaning, [inaudible] is driving, you'll be left alone, like a Persian cat, you won't get bored with you. To grandpa in the village, take me to the city. Of course not. Soon. On July 29, 1937, Japanese troops captured Beijing. Puyi's appearance in the Northeast was no accident; it was all planned in advance by the Japanese. He was a true Japanese puppet. Mass murders of civilians were happening everywhere then. Russia and China paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and that gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This newsreel was captured by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching 'Parliamentary Hour'. We continue.

Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed at Okhotny Ryad [State Duma building] by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will form the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and to strengthen relations based on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the framework of the parliamentary dimension. Throughout all this time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that peace… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines.

A series of international contacts continued with a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami Emomali, discussed issues of legislative support for the economic relations between the two countries and the strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to provide legislative support for their decisions, said Vyacheslav Volodin. They also discussed the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries. There are many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, to developing relations, to do everything for the legislative [aspect].

Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Special Representative of the Presidents of the Republic for the Development of Relations with Russia, Laureana Facunda Ortega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, stressed Vyacheslav Volodin. He also noted the personal contribution of Ortega Murillo to strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9th, [she] represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that in Nicaragua, they respect the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that great distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship. We try to do everything to reciprocate the steps that you, your country, are taking. Our task is to do everything possible from our side to develop economic relations and to form a legal framework. Despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have come to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied together in the face of common challenges and have done everything in our power to confront them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. It was a great honor for us to attend the festive events on May 9th marking the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to attend this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. He saved us from fascism, Nazism, and we are very grateful for this.

Along with breakfast, a handful of pills. Dietary supplements are a trend among those who are watching their health. But they are usually prescribed independently, without the recommendations of specialists. Colorful advertising. The labels promise to improve health. But what's in the composition? That's the question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of dietary supplements are incomparably lower than for medicines. They can be bought on any online [platform]. The State Duma is bringing order to the sphere. Deputies have passed a law that improves the regulation of the dietary supplement market. My colleague Tatyana Tuktarova will continue the topic.

Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozinc, and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap, and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe is, of course, kept secret. Dietary supplements have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with products for sports nutrition. Now they produce about 80 items, paying special attention to raw materials. Each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes verifying the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances that are stated on the label of the finished product. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

Whether a product has passed state registration can be found on the 'Honest Sign' marking. It must be on every package of biologically active supplement. By downloading the 'Honest Sign' application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And a digital passport of the product opens, which indicates when and by whom it was produced, the composition, expiration dates, and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold as dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought online on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo [Russian Quality System] specialists identified more than 400 products during monitoring that contained prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to light narcotics. These are sales without the 'Honest Sign', not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation, and either circumventing the labeling of biologically active additives under the slogan 'products for beauty and health', or sports nutrition, but not declared and registered as additives. That's where we find a lot of things. A high-profile scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised customers to lower cholesterol, but in reality, the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in the hospital. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores for about 3,000 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceuticals in the composition of biologically active supplements is the most common type of counterfeit dietary supplements – says the head of the Department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of RUDN. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines with active components of dietary supplements, and how they act, no one can predict or foresee, that is, this is very often observed for such biologically active additives, as a means to increase potency for men, weight loss products and various sports, again, biologically active additives for sports, these are the three categories that are very often counterfeited on the market.

It was possible to ban the sale of dangerous food additives only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims can grow. And a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for the rapid adoption of measures against biologically active additives that do not have state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and to which there are claims for quality. Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare] will have the opportunity to block pages of sites containing unreliable information about [them] without going to court. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active additives. Now doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any dietary supplement, since they are not in clinical guidelines and standards of care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe dietary supplements to patients in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of medicines and food products, compatibility of additives and the same medicines, so that the right time to drink them, so that they do not antagonize each other or strengthen the opposite effect, so here you need a doctor, here, when it comes to the question of the disease, the list of permitted dietary supplements will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include additives that meet the criteria established by the government, there should be a register of biologically active additives, which will be recommended for… to prescribe, again, officially registered and permitted dietary supplements for the treatment or for the prevention of any diseases, everything outside this permitted, naturally, everything outside registration, everything will be declared outside the law and advertising of this kind – additives will be prohibited.

According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary micronutrients and vitamins. Biologically active additives, helping to eliminate the deficit, are already an integral part of the life of modern man, [they] believe their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making that we have made with you, and it seems to me that this will go to the security of our country and the safety of our patients. The bill regulating the turnover of biologically active additives was adopted by deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025.

On June 1, on Children's Day, the summer health campaign starts throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the issue of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, the protection of children's health is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted repeated appeals to the Chairman of the Government related to the organization of children's recreation. Deputies pointed out the need to implement the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet. Of the twenty points, only eight were fully implemented, another eight were in the process of implementation, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issue of developing possible mechanisms for returning to parents part of the funds for purchased vouchers to children's camps. Regarding the support measures for the camps themselves, deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate that was previously converted from children's camps, most of which is in private ownership. Here are a few more questions that parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects did not allocate quotas for the health improvement and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions made changes to their legislation regarding the implementation of educational work programs. And programs [are necessary]. It was noted that at the federal and regional levels, it is necessary to take measures to increase the accessibility of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are insufficient. Please tell us, what are people talking about? [They talk about] ways to reduce the cost of children's recreation. We raised issues related to ensuring that the facilities that exist today on the Black Sea coast are maximally involved in organizing affordable and safe recreation for children. We raised issues that mean that we did not just voice them, but that we will be monitoring the quality of their implementation. Currently, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions, in order to request additional information from the field. Within the framework of the regional week, each of us in our region will conduct additional work with visits to children's camps, with visits to schools where recreation is organized, on which the ministry reports today, so that the whole picture in the country is as realistic as possible, and, of course, for each family, the question of the cost of the voucher, the question of the availability of the opportunity to purchase it in open access, because the number of places where children can relax and the demand that comes from families are in completely different parameters, the demand is much greater.

Volodin, in his electoral district in the Saratov region, visited the village of Sokolovy, where, together with teachers and parents of students, he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena. Sports facilities were built within the framework of the deputy's project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education classes, to engage in sections throughout the year. Previously, there was no such opportunity. Much work also for… Guardianship over the military town, Sokolovy, with his support, landscaping was carried out, a modern polyclinic was built, a school sports stadium, an overpass that connects the village with the city center, and sidewalks were repaired, yards of houses were put in order. Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428. in Saratov. He familiarized himself with the completion of the work on landscaping the territory. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma to the doctors, mid-level and junior staff of the military hospital for their high professionalism in providing medical assistance to participants in the special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. The country, they sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they do not need anything.

That's all for now. You were watching the "Parliamentary Hour" program. See you on the air.

[Switching topics abruptly] In Finland, they really don't like to remember the monstrous crimes committed during the Second World War. The Finnish army was equipped by practically all of Europe. It felt like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army, together with the German one, to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland pursued a pronounced policy of genocide. Regarding my lawsuit, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities [are] of the government of Meloni, and Meloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with it. Therefore, we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24 [inaudible].

The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."

Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking:

Okay, here's the translation of the television news transcript into English, trying to maintain the original meaning and tone:

"[Inaudible] Hey, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. More than that, I need him to kick me out today, my grandson has a temper, my grass, what's your cow doing on that side [of the river], girls, where are the eggs? He put down glass. Need a lively grandpa, well that's it, don't worry, it's a bit of an unusual situation, but everything is solvable. Meaning, [inaudible] is driving, you'll be left alone, like a Persian cat, you won't get bored with you. To grandpa in the village, take me to the city. Of course not. Soon. On July 29, 1937, Japanese troops captured Beijing. Puyi's appearance in the Northeast was no accident; it was all planned in advance by the Japanese. He was a true Japanese puppet. Mass murders of civilians were happening everywhere then. Russia and China paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and that gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This newsreel was captured by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching 'Parliamentary Hour'. We continue.

Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed at Okhotny Ryad [State Duma building] by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will form the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and to strengthen relations based on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the framework of the parliamentary dimension. Throughout all this time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that peace… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines.

A series of international contacts continued with a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami Emomali, discussed issues of legislative support for the economic relations between the two countries and the strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to provide legislative support for their decisions, said Vyacheslav Volodin. They also discussed the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries. There are many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, to developing relations, to do everything for the legislative [aspect].

Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Special Representative of the Presidents of the Republic for the Development of Relations with Russia, Laureana Facunda Ortega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, stressed Vyacheslav Volodin. He also noted the personal contribution of Ortega Murillo to strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9th, [she] represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that in Nicaragua, they respect the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that great distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship. We try to do everything to reciprocate the steps that you, your country, are taking. Our task is to do everything possible from our side to develop economic relations and to form a legal framework. Despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have come to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied together in the face of common challenges and have done everything in our power to confront them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. It was a great honor for us to attend the festive events on May 9th marking the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to attend this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. He saved us from fascism, Nazism, and we are very grateful for this.

Along with breakfast, a handful of pills. Dietary supplements are a trend among those who are watching their health. But they are usually prescribed independently, without the recommendations of specialists. Colorful advertising. The labels promise to improve health. But what's in the composition? That's the question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of dietary supplements are incomparably lower than for medicines. They can be bought on any online [platform]. The State Duma is bringing order to the sphere. Deputies have passed a law that improves the regulation of the dietary supplement market. My colleague Tatyana Tuktarova will continue the topic.

Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozinc, and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap, and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe is, of course, kept secret. Dietary supplements have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with products for sports nutrition. Now they produce about 80 items, paying special attention to raw materials. Each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes verifying the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances that are stated on the label of the finished product. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

Whether a product has passed state registration can be found on the 'Honest Sign' marking. It must be on every package of biologically active supplement. By downloading the 'Honest Sign' application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And a digital passport of the product opens, which indicates when and by whom it was produced, the composition, expiration dates, and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold as dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought online on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo [Russian Quality System] specialists identified more than 400 products during monitoring that contained prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to light narcotics. These are sales without the 'Honest Sign', not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation, and either circumventing the labeling of biologically active additives under the slogan 'products for beauty and health', or sports nutrition, but not declared and registered as additives. That's where we find a lot of things. A high-profile scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised customers to lower cholesterol, but in reality, the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in the hospital. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores for about 3,000 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceuticals in the composition of biologically active supplements is the most common type of counterfeit dietary supplements – says the head of the Department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of RUDN. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines with active components of dietary supplements, and how they act, no one can predict or foresee, that is, this is very often observed for such biologically active additives, as a means to increase potency for men, weight loss products and various sports, again, biologically active additives for sports, these are the three categories that are very often counterfeited on the market.

It was possible to ban the sale of dangerous food additives only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims can grow. And a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for the rapid adoption of measures against biologically active additives that do not have state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and to which there are claims for quality. Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare] will have the opportunity to block pages of sites containing unreliable information about [them] without going to court. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active additives. Now doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any dietary supplement, since they are not in clinical guidelines and standards of care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe dietary supplements to patients in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of medicines and food products, compatibility of additives and the same medicines, so that the right time to drink them, so that they do not antagonize each other or strengthen the opposite effect, so here you need a doctor, here, when it comes to the question of the disease, the list of permitted dietary supplements will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include additives that meet the criteria established by the government, there should be a register of biologically active additives, which will be recommended for… to prescribe, again, officially registered and permitted dietary supplements for the treatment or for the prevention of any diseases, everything outside this permitted, naturally, everything outside registration, everything will be declared outside the law and advertising of this kind – additives will be prohibited.

According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary micronutrients and vitamins. Biologically active additives, helping to eliminate the deficit, are already an integral part of the life of modern man, [they] believe their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making that we have made with you, and it seems to me that this will go to the security of our country and the safety of our patients. The bill regulating the turnover of biologically active additives was adopted by deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025.

On June 1, on Children's Day, the summer health campaign starts throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the issue of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, the protection of children's health is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted repeated appeals to the Chairman of the Government related to the organization of children's recreation. Deputies pointed out the need to implement the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet. Of the twenty points, only eight were fully implemented, another eight were in the process of implementation, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issue of developing possible mechanisms for returning to parents part of the funds for purchased vouchers to children's camps. Regarding the support measures for the camps themselves, deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate that was previously converted from children's camps, most of which is in private ownership. Here are a few more questions that parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects did not allocate quotas for the health improvement and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions made changes to their legislation regarding the implementation of educational work programs. And programs [are necessary]. It was noted that at the federal and regional levels, it is necessary to take measures to increase the accessibility of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are insufficient. Please tell us, what are people talking about? [They talk about] ways to reduce the cost of children's recreation. We raised issues related to ensuring that the facilities that exist today on the Black Sea coast are maximally involved in organizing affordable and safe recreation for children. We raised issues that mean that we did not just voice them, but that we will be monitoring the quality of their implementation. Currently, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions, in order to request additional information from the field. Within the framework of the regional week, each of us in our region will conduct additional work with visits to children's camps, with visits to schools where recreation is organized, on which the ministry reports today, so that the whole picture in the country is as realistic as possible, and, of course, for each family, the question of the cost of the voucher, the question of the availability of the opportunity to purchase it in open access, because the number of places where children can relax and the demand that comes from families are in completely different parameters, the demand is much greater.

Volodin, in his electoral district in the Saratov region, visited the village of Sokolovy, where, together with teachers and parents of students, he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena. Sports facilities were built within the framework of the deputy's project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education classes, to engage in sections throughout the year. Previously, there was no such opportunity. Much work also for… Guardianship over the military town, Sokolovy, with his support, landscaping was carried out, a modern polyclinic was built, a school sports stadium, an overpass that connects the village with the city center, and sidewalks were repaired, yards of houses were put in order. Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428. in Saratov. He familiarized himself with the completion of the work on landscaping the territory. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma to the doctors, mid-level and junior staff of the military hospital for their high professionalism in providing medical assistance to participants in the special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. The country, they sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they do not need anything.

That's all for now. You were watching the "Parliamentary Hour" program. See you on the air.

[Switching topics abruptly] In Finland, they really don't like to remember the monstrous crimes committed during the Second World War. The Finnish army was equipped by practically all of Europe. It felt like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army, together with the German one, to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland pursued a pronounced policy of genocide. Regarding my lawsuit, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities [are] of the government of Meloni, and Meloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with it. Therefore, we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24 [inaudible].

The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."

Gemini 2.0 Flash:

Okay, here's the translation of the television news transcript into English, trying to maintain the original meaning and tone:

"[Inaudible] Hey, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. More than that, I need him to kick me out today, my grandson has a temper, my grass, what's your cow doing on that side [of the river], girls, where are the eggs? He put down glass. Need a lively grandpa, well that's it, don't worry, it's a bit of an unusual situation, but everything is solvable. Meaning, [inaudible] is driving, you'll be left alone, like a Persian cat, you won't get bored with you. To grandpa in the village, take me to the city. Of course not. Soon. On July 29, 1937, Japanese troops captured Beijing. Puyi's appearance in the Northeast was no accident; it was all planned in advance by the Japanese. He was a true Japanese puppet. Mass murders of civilians were happening everywhere then. Russia and China paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and that gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This newsreel was captured by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching 'Parliamentary Hour'. We continue.

Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed at Okhotny Ryad [State Duma building] by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will form the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and to strengthen relations based on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the framework of the parliamentary dimension. Throughout all this time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that peace… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines.

A series of international contacts continued with a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami Emomali, discussed issues of legislative support for the economic relations between the two countries and the strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to provide legislative support for their decisions, said Vyacheslav Volodin. They also discussed the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries. There are many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, to developing relations, to do everything for the legislative [aspect].

Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Special Representative of the Presidents of the Republic for the Development of Relations with Russia, Laureana Facunda Ortega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, stressed Vyacheslav Volodin. He also noted the personal contribution of Ortega Murillo to strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9th, [she] represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that in Nicaragua, they respect the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that great distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship. We try to do everything to reciprocate the steps that you, your country, are taking. Our task is to do everything possible from our side to develop economic relations and to form a legal framework. Despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have come to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied together in the face of common challenges and have done everything in our power to confront them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. It was a great honor for us to attend the festive events on May 9th marking the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to attend this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. He saved us from fascism, Nazism, and we are very grateful for this.

Along with breakfast, a handful of pills. Dietary supplements are a trend among those who are watching their health. But they are usually prescribed independently, without the recommendations of specialists. Colorful advertising. The labels promise to improve health. But what's in the composition? That's the question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of dietary supplements are incomparably lower than for medicines. They can be bought on any online [platform]. The State Duma is bringing order to the sphere. Deputies have passed a law that improves the regulation of the dietary supplement market. My colleague Tatyana Tuktarova will continue the topic.

Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozinc, and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap, and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe is, of course, kept secret. Dietary supplements have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with products for sports nutrition. Now they produce about 80 items, paying special attention to raw materials. Each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes verifying the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances that are stated on the label of the finished product. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

Whether a product has passed state registration can be found on the 'Honest Sign' marking. It must be on every package of biologically active supplement. By downloading the 'Honest Sign' application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And a digital passport of the product opens, which indicates when and by whom it was produced, the composition, expiration dates, and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold as dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought online on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo [Russian Quality System] specialists identified more than 400 products during monitoring that contained prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to light narcotics. These are sales without the 'Honest Sign', not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation, and either circumventing the labeling of biologically active additives under the slogan 'products for beauty and health', or sports nutrition, but not declared and registered as additives. That's where we find a lot of things. A high-profile scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised customers to lower cholesterol, but in reality, the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in the hospital. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores for about 3,000 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceuticals in the composition of biologically active supplements is the most common type of counterfeit dietary supplements – says the head of the Department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of RUDN. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines with active components of dietary supplements, and how they act, no one can predict or foresee, that is, this is very often observed for such biologically active additives, as a means to increase potency for men, weight loss products and various sports, again, biologically active additives for sports, these are the three categories that are very often counterfeited on the market.

It was possible to ban the sale of dangerous food additives only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims can grow. And a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for the rapid adoption of measures against biologically active additives that do not have state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and to which there are claims for quality. Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare] will have the opportunity to block pages of sites containing unreliable information about [them] without going to court. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active additives. Now doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any dietary supplement, since they are not in clinical guidelines and standards of care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe dietary supplements to patients in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of medicines and food products, compatibility of additives and the same medicines, so that the right time to drink them, so that they do not antagonize each other or strengthen the opposite effect, so here you need a doctor, here, when it comes to the question of the disease, the list of permitted dietary supplements will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include additives that meet the criteria established by the government, there should be a register of biologically active additives, which will be recommended for… to prescribe, again, officially registered and permitted dietary supplements for the treatment or for the prevention of any diseases, everything outside this permitted, naturally, everything outside registration, everything will be declared outside the law and advertising of this kind – additives will be prohibited.

According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary micronutrients and vitamins. Biologically active additives, helping to eliminate the deficit, are already an integral part of the life of modern man, [they] believe their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making that we have made with you, and it seems to me that this will go to the security of our country and the safety of our patients. The bill regulating the turnover of biologically active additives was adopted by deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025.

On June 1, on Children's Day, the summer health campaign starts throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the issue of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, the protection of children's health is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted repeated appeals to the Chairman of the Government related to the organization of children's recreation. Deputies pointed out the need to implement the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet. Of the twenty points, only eight were fully implemented, another eight were in the process of implementation, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issue of developing possible mechanisms for returning to parents part of the funds for purchased vouchers to children's camps. Regarding the support measures for the camps themselves, deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate that was previously converted from children's camps, most of which is in private ownership. Here are a few more questions that parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects did not allocate quotas for the health improvement and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions made changes to their legislation regarding the implementation of educational work programs. And programs [are necessary]. It was noted that at the federal and regional levels, it is necessary to take measures to increase the accessibility of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are insufficient. Please tell us, what are people talking about? [They talk about] ways to reduce the cost of children's recreation. We raised issues related to ensuring that the facilities that exist today on the Black Sea coast are maximally involved in organizing affordable and safe recreation for children. We raised issues that mean that we did not just voice them, but that we will be monitoring the quality of their implementation. Currently, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions, in order to request additional information from the field. Within the framework of the regional week, each of us in our region will conduct additional work with visits to children's camps, with visits to schools where recreation is organized, on which the ministry reports today, so that the whole picture in the country is as realistic as possible, and, of course, for each family, the question of the cost of the voucher, the question of the availability of the opportunity to purchase it in open access, because the number of places where children can relax and the demand that comes from families are in completely different parameters, the demand is much greater.

Volodin, in his electoral district in the Saratov region, visited the village of Sokolovy, where, together with teachers and parents of students, he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena. Sports facilities were built within the framework of the deputy's project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education classes, to engage in sections throughout the year. Previously, there was no such opportunity. Much work also for… Guardianship over the military town, Sokolovy, with his support, landscaping was carried out, a modern polyclinic was built, a school sports stadium, an overpass that connects the village with the city center, and sidewalks were repaired, yards of houses were put in order. Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428. in Saratov. He familiarized himself with the completion of the work on landscaping the territory. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma to the doctors, mid-level and junior staff of the military hospital for their high professionalism in providing medical assistance to participants in the special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. The country, they sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they do not need anything.

That's all for now. You were watching the "Parliamentary Hour" program. See you on the air.

[Switching topics abruptly] In Finland, they really don't like to remember the monstrous crimes committed during the Second World War. The Finnish army was equipped by practically all of Europe. It felt like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army, together with the German one, to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland pursued a pronounced policy of genocide. Regarding my lawsuit, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities [are] of the government of Meloni, and Meloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with it. Therefore, we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24 [inaudible].

The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they faced problems. Maria Skorodalka will tell about what problems these were. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking with a delegation from the 'independent' [Ukraine] in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating [the situation], praising the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who for years have only dangled a carrot in front of him, promising membership."

Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite:

Okay, here is the English translation of the television news transcript, as close to the original meaning as possible:

TELEVISION NEWS TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. More, I need him to literally kick me out today. When my grandson has character, my cow is grazing. Girls, where are the eggs? He laid down the glass, we need a grandpa with some spark. Well, that's it, don't worry, it's a slightly non-standard situation, but everything is solvable. In the sense, no one is going, you'll stay alone, like a boss, you won't get bored. Take me to the village of the grandfather, take me to the city, of course not. Soon, on July 29, 1937, Japanese troops captured Beijing. Puyi appeared in the northeast not by chance, all this was pre-planned by the Japanese, he was a real Japanese puppet. Mass killings of civilians occurred then all over. It was Russia and China that paid the greatest price for this common victory of humanity, and this gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This film chronicle was filmed by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching Parliamentary Hour, we continue. Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed by the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin at Okhotny Ryad with the Head of the Governing Presidential Council of the Yemeni Republic, Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue would become the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share experience in the field of lawmaking with Yemeni colleagues and strengthen relations on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position. will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in different formats, including within the framework of the parliamentary dimension. Throughout the entire time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that the world… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along the parliamentary line. A series of international contacts was continued by a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami Emomali, discussed issues of legislative support. economic relations between the two countries and the strengthening of inter-parliamentary interaction. The Chairman of the State Duma stressed that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to legally ensure their decisions, – said Vyacheslav Volodin. Also, the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries was discussed. Many topics that it is important to discuss, to pay attention to the preservation of historical heritage, the development of relations, to do everything for the legislative. Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and the Special Representative of the Presidents of the Republic on the development of relations with Russia, Loriana Facunda Arteaga Murillo. The discussion also touched on cooperation in the economy, the humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, – Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized. He also noted the personal contribution of Arteaga Murillo to the strengthening of inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9. represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that Nicaragua respects the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that long distances cannot be an obstacle to being friends, we try to do everything to reciprocate. to the steps that you, your country, are taking, our task is to do everything possible from our side to develop both economic relations and to form a legal field, despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have begun to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied in the face of common challenges and done everything in our power. to counteract them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. For us, it was a great honor to attend the May 9th festive events on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. For us, it was our duty to be present at this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. He saved us from fascism and Nazism, and we are very grateful for this. Along with breakfast, a handful of pills. Biologically active supplements are a trend among those who monitor their health. But they, as a rule, prescribe them to themselves independently, without the recommendations of specialists. Colorful advertising. On the labels, the promise to improve health. But what is in the composition? The question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of BAT are incomparably lower than those for medicines, and you can buy them on any internet. The State Duma is putting things in order in the field. Deputies have adopted a law that improves the regulation of the dietary supplement market. My colleague Tatyana Tukturova will continue the topic. Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozin and a number of other components are sieved, passed through a magnetic trap and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe, of course, is kept secret, dietary supplements, at this Moscow enterprise have been produced for more than 30 years, starting with preparations for sports nutrition, now about 80 items are produced, special attention. to raw materials, each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food supplements includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes the conduct of conformity to the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances, which are declared. on the labels of finished products. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier. Whether the product has passed state registration can be found out by the Honest Sign marking. It should be on each package of biologically active supplements. By downloading the Honest Sign application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And the digital product passport opens, which indicates when and by whom it was produced, the composition, shelf life. and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold under the guise of dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought on the Internet on various marketplaces. Last summer, specialists from Roskachestvo, during monitoring, identified more than 400 products that contained prohibited substances, from salts of heavy metals to light drugs. This is without the Honest Sign of sale, it is not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation. and either a departure to the marking of biologically active supplements under the slogan, products for beauty and health, there is sports nutrition, but not declared and not registered as supplements, that's where we find a lot of things. A loud scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, the composition of which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised customers a reduction in cholesterol, but in fact, the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred were on hospital beds. In Russia, the drug was not registered, did not have a certificate, but was freely available in online stores for about 3,000 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a medicinal product. Pharmaceutical preparations in the composition of biologically active supplements are the most frequent type of counterfeit dietary supplements, – says the head of the department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of Rudes. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines. with active components of dietary supplements, and how they work here, no one can predict and predict at all, that is, this is very often observed for such biologically active supplements as a means of increasing potency for men, weight loss products and various sports, again, biologically active supplements for sports, these are the three categories that are very often faked on the market: it was possible to prohibit the sale of dangerous food additives only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims may increase. and a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for taking prompt measures against biologically active supplements that are not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation and for which there are claims about quality. Rospotrebnadzor will have the opportunity to pre-trial blocking of website pages containing unreliable information about the biological. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active supplements. Now doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any dietary supplement, since they are not in clinical recommendations and standards of medical care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe dietary supplements to patients in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of medicines and food products, the compatibility of supplements and the same medicinal products. to drink them at the right time so that they do not antagonize each other or, on the contrary, enhance the effects, so a doctor is needed here, here, when it comes to the issue of disease, the Ministry of Health will approve the list of permitted dietary supplements in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include supplements that meet the criteria established by the government, a register of biologically active supplements should appear, in which which will be recommended for… prescribe, again, officially registered and permitted dietary supplements for the treatment or prevention of some diseases, everything that is outside of this permitted, naturally, everything that is outside of registration, everything will be declared illegal and advertising of this kind – supplements will be prohibited. According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary microelements and vitamins. Biologically active supplements that help eliminate the deficiency are already an integral part of the life of a modern person, he believes. their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making, which we, together with you, have made, and it seems to me that this will go for the safety of our country and the safety of our patients. The bill regulating the circulation of biologically active supplements was adopted by deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025. On June 1, Children's Day, the summer health campaign will start throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the topic of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, protecting the health of children is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted a repeated appeal to the Prime Minister related to the organization of children's recreation. The deputies pointed out the… the need to implement the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet. Of the twenty items, only eight were fully implemented, another eight were in the implementation stage, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issues of developing possible mechanisms for returning part of the funds to parents for purchased vouchers to children's camps. On measures to support the camps themselves, the deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate, which had previously been. re-profiled children's camps, most of which are privately owned. Here are a few more issues that the parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects did not allocate quotas for the health and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions have made changes to their legislation in terms of the implementation of educational work programs. A program. It is noted that at the federal and regional levels, it is necessary to take measures to increase the availability of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are not enough, so please tell us what people are talking about. waste on reducing the cost of children's recreation, we raised issues related to ensuring that the facilities that are on the Black Sea coast today are used as much as possible in the organization of affordable and safe recreation for children, raised issues that mean that we not only voiced them, but that we will look at the quality of execution on them. At present, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions in order to… to request additional information from the ground, within the framework of the regional week, each of us in our region will conduct additional work with visits to children's camps, with visits to schools where recreation is organized, which the ministry reports on today, so that the whole picture across the country, it was as realistic as possible, and of course, for each family the question of the cost of the voucher, the question of the availability of the… the ability to purchase it in open access, because the number of places where children can rest and the request that there is from families, they are in completely different parameters, the request is much more. Lodin in his constituency in the Saratov region visited the village of Sokolovy, where, together with teachers and parents of students, he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena. Sports facilities were built within the framework of the deputy project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and ice skate during physical education lessons, to participate in sections throughout the year. Previously, this opportunity did not exist. A lot of work for… Patronage of the military town, Sokolov, with his support, landscaping was carried out, a modern clinic was built, a school sports stadium, a flyover connecting the village with the city center, and sidewalks were also repaired, the courtyards of the houses were put in order, and Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428. in Saratov. He got acquainted with the completion of landscaping work. Doctors, nurses, and junior staff of the military hospital. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma for the high professionalism in providing medical care to participants in the special military operation. Wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and help our soldiers, officers, guys. country, sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they need nothing. That's all, you were watching the Parliamentary Hour program, see you on the air. Finland doesn't like to remember the heinous crimes committed during World War II. The Finnish army was equipped with equipment from almost all of Europe, it feels like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army to win the Soviet Union together with the Germans. Finland pursued a clearly expressed policy of genocide. Regarding my lawsuit, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities of the Meloni government, and Meloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with this. Therefore, we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24. The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany. and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with war with our country, but they ran into problems, what kind of problems, Maria Skorodilkova will tell about this. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine by talking with a delegation from the independent state in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating, inflating the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have long since turned to open terrorism. Zelensky, surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership.

Gemma 3 27B:

English Translation of Television News Transcript

Okay, here's a translation of the provided Russian television news transcript, aiming for accuracy and preserving the original's tone and nuances as much as possible. It's a bit rambling in places, reflecting the conversational style of some segments, and I've noted where the content shifts dramatically.

(Beginning – seemingly a personal, fragmented conversation)

"Hey, could you look after Vadik for me? I have no one to leave him with, for three days. More, actually. I need him taken care of today, when the grandson is a character, a real handful. What's your cow doing over there on the other bank, girls? And where are the eggs? He put down glass. We need a lively grandfather. Okay, that's it. Don't worry, it's a slightly unusual situation, but it's solvable. Meaning, nothing's working out, you'll be left alone, like a Persian. You won't be bored with him. To Grandpa's village, take me to the city. Of course not, soon…"

(Shift to Historical News – 1937 Beijing)

"July 29th, 1937. Japanese troops seized Beijing. Puyi’s appearance in the Northeast wasn’t accidental. All of this was planned in advance by the Japanese. He was a true Japanese puppet. Mass killings of civilians were happening everywhere at that time. It was Russia, and China, that paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and that gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This newsreel footage was filmed by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story."

(Transition to Current Affairs – Parliamentary Hour Introduction)

"You are watching Parliamentary Hour. We continue."

(Focus on Russia's International Relations – Yemen)

"Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with countries in the Middle East. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost a century ago. The Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, discussed the prospects for further cooperation with Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, Head of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, at Ochotny Ryad. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will become the foundation for strengthening inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and to strengthen relations based on friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the parliamentary dimension. Throughout the time, we have built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, the absence of double standards, and mutually beneficial cooperation. We believe that peace… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines."

(Continued International Relations – Tajikistan)

"A series of international contacts continued with a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and Rustami and Mamali, Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, discussed issues of legislative support for economic relations between the two countries and strengthening inter-parliamentary interaction. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are bound by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to legally ensure their decisions," said Vyacheslav Volodin. "We also discussed the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries. Many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, to developing relations, to do everything for the legislative…"

(Further International Relations – Nicaragua)

"Russia and Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, and the Special Representative of the Co-Presidents of the Republic for the Development of Relations with Russia, Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. The friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards," Volodin emphasized. He also noted the personal contribution of Ortega Murillo to strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. "On May 9th, [Ortega Murillo] represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted that Nicaragua respects the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nicaragua show that great distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship. We are trying to do everything to reciprocate the steps you are taking, your country. Our task is to do everything possible to develop economic relations and create a legal framework. Despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we have come to understand each other better, and, of course, we have rallied in the face of common challenges and done everything in our power to counter them. I want to thank you for this brotherly meeting. It was a great honor for us to visit the festive events on May 9th on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to be present at this important event. This once again underscores our respect for the feat of your people, who saved us from fascism and Nazism, and we are very grateful for that."

(Shift to Consumer Safety – Dietary Supplements)

"Together with breakfast, a handful of pills. Biologically active additives – a trend among those who monitor their health. But they usually prescribe them to themselves, without recommendations from specialists. Colorful advertising. Promises to improve health on the labels. But what's in the composition? That's the question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of BAAs are incomparably lower than for medicines. They can be bought on any internet site. The State Duma is putting things in order in this area. Deputies have adopted a law that improves the regulation of the BAAs market. My colleague, Tatyana Tuktarova, will continue the story."

(Report on Dietary Supplement Regulation)

"[Visuals of supplement production] Sage extract, B vitamins, zinc citrate, and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap, thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product to improve memory and attention. The exact recipe, of course, is kept secret. BAAs have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with preparations for sports nutrition, now they produce about 80 names. Special attention is paid to raw materials, each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of food safety, which includes indicators such as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, also includes conducting a conformity assessment of the authenticity of substances, determining the content of active substances declared on the labels of finished products. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer and supplier. Whether the product has passed state registration can be found on the Honest Mark labeling. It must be on every package of a biologically active additive. By downloading the Honest Mark application, we scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the jar. And a digital passport of the product opens, where it is written when and by whom it was produced, composition, expiration dates, and recommendations for use. However, not all products sold as BAAs have a certificate of state registration. What's inside these jars is a big question. Most often, you can buy a pig in a poke on the internet on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo specialists, during monitoring, identified more than 400 products containing prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to light drugs. This is without an Honest Mark, this is not registered in the Russian Federation, or they are evading the labeling of biological active additives under the slogan of products for beauty and health, there is sports nutrition, but they are not declared and not registered as additives, and we find a lot of things there. A loud scandal broke out around a BAA from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised buyers to lower cholesterol, but in reality, the BAA led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in the hospital. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores at a price of about 300 rubles. What was in the Japanese BAA was studied in this laboratory. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceutical preparations in the composition of biologically active additives are the most common type of counterfeit BAAs, says the head of the department of the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of Ruden. Sometimes we came across just a pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines with active ingredients of BAAs, and no one can predict or predict how they work here. This is very often observed for such biologically active additives as a means to increase potency for men, weight loss products, and various sports, again, biologically active additives for playing sports, these three categories are very often counterfeited on the market. It was only possible to ban the sale of dangerous food additives through the courts, but this is the time during which the list of victims may grow. And a new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for taking prompt measures against biologically active additives that do not have state registration in the Russian Federation and to which there are quality claims. Roskomnadzor will have the opportunity to pre-trial blocking of website pages containing false information about biological. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active additives. Currently, doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any BAA, as they are not in clinical recommendations and standards of medical care. The new bill gives doctors the right to prescribe BAAs to patients in addition to basic therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of drugs and food, compatibility of additives and the same drugs, in order to correctly drink them, so that they do not antagonize each other or, conversely, enhance their actions, so here a doctor is needed, here when it comes to the issue of the disease, the list of permitted BAAs will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include additives that meet the criteria established by the government, a register of biologically active additives will appear, in which they will be recommended for prescribing, again, officially permitted BAAs for treatment or prevention of any diseases, everything that is outside this permitted, naturally, everything that is outside registration, everything will be declared illegal, and advertising of such additives will be prohibited. According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% of the necessary trace elements and vitamins. Biologically active additives that help eliminate the deficit are already an integral part of the life of a modern person, she believes. Their appointment is a new level of medical decision-making that we have made together with you, and it seems to me that this will go to the safety of our country and the safety of the lives of our patients. The bill regulating the turnover of biologically active additives was adopted by the deputies immediately in the second and third readings. The innovations will come into force on September 1, 2025."

(Concluding Segment – Children's Summer Camps)

"June 1st, on Children's Day, a summer health campaign starts throughout the country. The State Duma keeps the issue of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, protecting the health of children is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted a repeated appeal to the Chairman of the Government regarding the organization of children's recreation. The deputies pointed out that… the need to fulfill the recommendations that the State Duma gave to the Cabinet of Ministers. Only eight out of twenty points were fully completed, another eight were in the process of implementation, and four were not completed at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issue of developing possible mechanisms for returning funds to parents for purchased vouchers to children's camps. The deputies also noted the importance of completing the analysis of the use of real estate that was previously repurposed from children's camps, most of which is in private ownership. Here are a few more questions that the parliamentarians drew attention to. Eleven subjects did not allocate quotas for the health and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions made changes to their legislation regarding the implementation of programs of educational work. And the programs… it is noted that measures must be taken at the federal and regional levels to increase the accessibility of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are insufficient. Tell us, please, what people are talking about. About reducing the cost of children's recreation, we raised the issue of maximizing the use of facilities on the Black Sea coast in organizing affordable and safe recreation for children, we raised issues that meant that we not only voiced them, but that we will monitor the quality of their implementation. Currently, we have agreed to monitor the regions in order to… request additional information from the local level, within the framework of the regional week, each of us in his region will conduct additional work with a visit to children's camps, with a visit to schools where recreation is organized, which the ministry is reporting on today, in order to get the most realistic picture of the country, and of course, for each family, the cost of a voucher, the very possibility of purchasing it in open access, because the number of places where children can rest and the demand from families are completely different parameters, the demand is much greater. Volodin visited the village of Sokolov in his constituency in the Saratov region, where he inspected the newly opened school pool and ice arena together with teachers and parents of students. The sports facilities were built as part of a deputy project with the support of the Chairman of the State Duma. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education lessons, and to practice in sections throughout the year. Previously, such an opportunity did not exist. A lot of work has been done on… Guardianship over the military town of Sokolov, with his support, the improvement was carried out, a modern polyclinic, a school sports stadium, a flyover connecting the village with the city center were built, and sidewalks and courtyards of houses were also repaired. Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the patron military hospital No. 428 in Saratov. He got acquainted with the completion of the work on improvement of the territory. Vyacheslav Volodin presented letters of gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma to the doctors, nurses and junior staff of the military hospital for their high professionalism in providing medical care to participants in the special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives and provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. The country sacrifices itself, we must do everything to ensure that they have everything they need. That's all for today. You watched the program Parliamentary Hour. See you on the air."

(Final Segment – Finland and Russia)

"In Finland, they really don't like to remember the terrible crimes committed during World War II. The Finnish army was equipped with almost all of Europe, it feels like all of Europe wanted the Finnish army, together with the German one, to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland pursued a clearly defined policy of genocide. In response to my claim, it was said that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. The situation is now strange, because the authorities of the Milioni government, and Milioni is a fascist, and we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with this. That's why we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24. About the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, the New York Times writes. The results of this meeting literally infuriate the European elite. Germany and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they ran into problems, here's what Maria Skorodilka will tell us about. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine by talking to a delegation from the independent country in Istanbul, the head of the Kyiv regime is escalating, supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have long switched to open terrorism. Zelensky, surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership…"

Important Notes:

Fragmented Start: The beginning is very disjointed, sounding like overheard conversation. It's difficult to provide a perfectly coherent translation without more context.

Tone and Style: I've tried to maintain the somewhat formal, yet occasionally rambling, style of Russian news broadcasts.

Cultural Nuances: Some phrases and expressions don't translate directly, so I've aimed for the closest equivalent in meaning.

Shifting Topics: The transcript jumps between very different subjects (personal conversation, historical analysis, political reporting, consumer safety). I've indicated these shifts to help with understanding.

Accuracy: I've prioritized accuracy, but some interpretation is inevitable when translating.

Let me know if you'd like me to focus on a specific section or refine any part of the translation.

Google Translate:

Hi, stay with Vadik, I have no one to leave him with, for 3 days. more, I need him to kick me out right today, when the grandson has a character, my trova, that's what your cow is doing on that bank, girls, and where are the eggs, put the glass, I need a grandfather with a spark, well, that's it, don't worry, well, it's a bit of an unusual situation, but everything can be solved, I mean, he's not going anywhere, you'll be left alone, like a Persian, he won't get bored with you. To the village of grandfather, take me to the city, of course, no, soon, on July 29, 1937 , Japanese troops captured Beijing, Puyi appeared in the northeast not by chance, all this was planned in advance by the Japanese, he was a real Japanese puppet, mass murders of civilians occurred then all over. It was Russia and China that paid the highest price for this common victory of humanity, and this gives us a special right not to allow history to be rewritten. This film chronicle was leavened by Soviet soldiers in August 1945. This will be an honest detective story. You are watching the parliamentary hour, we continue. Russia maintains mutually beneficial cooperation with the Middle East states. For example, the partnership with Yemen has a long history. This year, the countries will celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the first trade agreement between the states was signed almost… a century ago. The prospects for further cooperation were discussed by the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin at Okhotny Ryad with the head of the governing presidential council of the Republic of Yemen, Rashad Mohammed Al-Almi. Vyacheslav Volodin expressed confidence that this dialogue will become the basis for building up inter-parliamentary ties. Russian deputies expressed their readiness to share their experience in the field of lawmaking with their Yemeni colleagues and strengthen relations based on the principles of friendship and mutual respect. This position will serve as a good basis for us to develop relations in various formats, including within the parliamentary dimension, throughout the entire period, we built them on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, and the absence of double standards, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation, we believe that the world… As those responsible for the development of Russian-Yemeni relations, we will strive to develop our cooperation along parliamentary lines. The series of international contacts was continued by a meeting with Moscow's strategic partner in Central Asia. Vyacheslav Volodin and the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rustami and Mamali, discussed issues of legislative support. economic relations between the two countries strengthening inter-parliamentary interaction. The Chairman of the State Duma emphasized that Russia and Tajikistan are linked by special relations, the dynamics of which are set by the heads of the two states. It is important to provide legislative support for their decisions, – said Vyacheslav Volodin. Also, the importance of preserving the historical heritage that unites the peoples of our countries was discussed. There are many topics that are important to discuss, to pay attention to preserving the historical heritage, developing relations, to do everything for the legislative. Russia with Nicaragua. Their prospects were discussed by the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and the special representative of the co-presidents of the Republic for the development of relations with Russia, Loriana Facunda Artega Murillo. The discussion included cooperation in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and culture. Friendship between Russia and Nicaragua is built on the principles of openness and the absence of double standards, – emphasized Vyacheslav Volodin. He also noted the personal contribution of Artega Murillo to strengthening the inter-parliamentary dialogue. On May 9, he represented the Central American state at the parade in Moscow. The politician noted, that in Nicaragua they respect the feat of our people in the fight against fascism. Our relations with Nikoragovo show that long distances cannot be an obstacle to friendship, we try to do everything to reciprocate. to the steps that you, your country, are taking, our task is to do everything possible on our part so that economic relations develop and the legal field is formed, despite the difficulties in the world, our relations have become even stronger, we better understand each other, but of course, we united in the face of common challenges and did everything in our power to resist them. I want to thank you for this fraternal meeting. It was a great honor for us to attend the festive events on May 9 to mark the eightieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the victory over fascism. It was our duty to attend this event, which is very significant. This once again emphasizes our respect for the feat of your people. They saved us from fascism, Nazism, and we are very grateful for that. A handful of pills with breakfast. Biologically active additives are a trend among those who monitor their health. But they usually prescribe them to themselves independently, without the advice of specialists. Colorful advertising. The labels promise to improve health. But what is in the composition? Question. Experts explain that the requirements for the production technology of BATH are incomparably lower than those of drugs, you can buy them on any Internet. The State Duma is bringing order to the sphere. Deputies adopted a law that improves regulation market of dietary supplements. My colleague Tatyana Tuktarova will continue the topic. Sage extract, B vitamins, citrozinc and a number of other components are sifted, passed through a magnetic trap and thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. The result is an innovative product for improving memory and attention. The exact recipe is, of course, kept secret, dietary supplements have been produced at this Moscow enterprise for over 30 years, starting with sports nutrition products, now they produce about 80 names, special attention. to raw materials, each product undergoes state registration. State registration of biologically active food additives includes an assessment of the safety of food products, which includes such indicators as microbiology, toxic elements, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and also includes the verification of the authenticity of substances , determining the content of active substances that are declared. on the labels of finished products. State registration also includes an examination of the accompanying documentation provided by the manufacturer supplier. Has it passed state registration of the product, you can find out by the marking of the honest sign. It should be on each package of a biologically active supplement. After downloading the application, honest sign, scan the QR code. In this case, it is located on the lid of the can. And a digital passport of the product opens, where it is written when and by whom the composition was produced, expiration dates. and recommendations for use. However, not all products that are sold under the guise of dietary supplements have a state registration certificate. What's inside such jars, big question. Most often, a pig in a poke can be bought on the Internet on various marketplaces. Last summer, Roskachestvo specialists during monitoring identified more than 400 products that contained prohibited substances, from heavy metal salts to soft drugs. This is without an honest sign of sale, it is not registered in the territory of the Russian Federation. and either leaving in the marking of biologically active additives under the slogan, products for beauty and health, there is sports nutrition, but not declared and are not registered as additives, that's where we find a lot of things. A loud scandal erupted around a dietary supplement from Japan, which contained red yeast rice. The manufacturers of the drug promised buyers a reduction in cholesterol, but in fact the dietary supplement led to kidney problems, five people died. More than a hundred ended up in a hospital bed. The drug was not registered in Russia, it did not have a certificate, but it was freely available in online stores at a price of about 3.00 rubles. What was in the Japanese dietary supplement, we studied in this laboratories. It turned out that one of the components was a drug. Pharmaceuticals in dietary supplements are the most common type of counterfeit dietary supplements, says Ruden, head of the department at the Institute of Pharmacy and Biotechnology. Sometimes we came across just pure medicine, and sometimes we came across combinations of these same medicines. with the active components of dietary supplements and how they work , no one can predict here at all, that is, this is very often observed for such dietary supplements as a means for increasing potency for men, means for losing weight and various sports, again biologically active supplements for sports, these are three categories that are very often counterfeited on the market: it was possible to ban the sale of dangerous food supplements only through the court, and this is the time during which the list of victims can grow. and another new bill will radically change the situation. The bill itself is aimed at creating a mechanism for promptly taking measures in relation to biologically active supplements that do not have state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and to which there are quality claims. Rospotrebnadzor will have the ability to pre-trial block pages of sites containing inaccurate information about biological. Another problem is the uncontrolled use of biologically active supplements. Currently, doctors cannot officially prescribe almost any baht, since they are not included in clinical guidelines and standards of medical care. The new bill gives doctors the right prescribe patients dietary supplements in addition to the main therapy. There is a concept of compatibility of drugs and food products, compatibility of supplements and the same drugs. to drink them at the right time, so that they do not antagonize each other or , on the contrary, enhance the effects, so here you need a doctor, here, when it comes to the question of the disease, the list of permitted dietary supplements will be approved by the Ministry of Health in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor, the list will include supplements that meet the established government criteria, there should be a register of biologically active additives, in which which will be recommended for… to prescribe, again, officially registered dietary supplements for the treatment or prevention of some diseases, everything that is outside of this permitted, naturally, everything that is not registered, everything will be declared illegal and advertising of this kind – additives will be prohibited. According to experts, even the most balanced diet today replenishes from 65 to 80% essential microelements and vitamins. Biologically active additives that help eliminate the deficiency are already an integral part of modern man's life, he believes. – these are their appointments, a new level of medical decision-making that we have made together, and it seems to me that this will go to the security of our country and the safety of our patients' lives. The bill regulating the circulation of biologically active additives was adopted by deputies in the second and third readings at once. The innovations will come into force on September 1 2025. On June 1 , on Children's Day , the summer health campaign will start across the country. The State Duma keeps the topic of children's recreation under special control, as Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized, protecting children's health is a priority for deputies. Earlier, parliamentarians adopted a repeated appeal to the Chairman of the Government related to the organization of children's recreation. Deputies pointed out the need to implement the recommendations given by the State Duma to Kabin. Of the twenty points, they were fully implemented only eight, another eight were in the implementation stage, and four were not implemented at all. In particular, there is no solution to the issues of developing possible mechanisms for returning part of the funds to parents for purchased vouchers to children's camps. Regarding measures to support the camps themselves, the deputies also noted the importance of completing an analysis of the use of real estate that was previously. repurposed children's camps, most of which are privately owned. Here are a few more issues that the parliamentarians drew attention to. 11 subjects have not allocated quotas for health improvement and recreation of children with disabilities. Only six regions have amended their legislation in terms of implementing educational programs. And programs. it is noted that at the federal and regional levels it is necessary to take measures to increase the availability of children's recreation, and today numerous appeals from citizens indicate that the measures taken are not enough, so please tell us what people are talking about. waste to reduce the cost of children's recreation, we raised issues related to the fact that the facilities that are currently on the Black Sea coast were maximally involved in organizing accessible and safe recreation for children, raised issues that mean that we did not just voice them, but that we will look at the quality of execution. At present, we have agreed to conduct monitoring, monitoring with the regions in order to… from the localities to still demand additional information, within the framework of the regional week, each of us in its region will carry out additional work with visiting children's camps, visiting schools where recreation is organized, on which the ministry reports today, so that the whole picture across the country is as realistic as possible, and of course, for each family the question of the cost of the trip, the question of the availability of the most… the opportunity to purchase it in the public domain, because the number of places where children can relax, the request that is from families, they are in completely different parameters, the request is much greater. Lodin visited the village of Sokolovy in his constituency in the Saratov Region, where he inspected the newly opened school swimming pool and ice arena together with teachers and parents of students . The sports facilities were built as part of a deputy project with the support of the State Duma Chairman. Children now have the opportunity to learn to swim and skate during physical education classes and to participate in sports clubs throughout the year. Previously, there was no such opportunity. A lot of work and for… Marching over the military town, Sokolovy with his support, improvements were made , a modern clinic, a school sports stadium, an overpass connecting the village with the city center were built, and sidewalks were repaired, courtyards of houses were put in order, Vyacheslav Volodin also visited the sponsored military hospital number 428 in Saratov. He got acquainted with the completion of the improvement work on the territory. Doctors, middle and junior staff of the military hospital. Vyacheslav Volodin presented gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma for high professionalism in providing medical care to participants in a special military operation. A wonderful team. They do everything to save lives, provide assistance to our soldiers, officers, guys. country, sacrifice themselves, we must do everything so that they do not need anything. That's all, you watched the program Parliamentary Hour, see you on the air. in Finland, they really don't like to remember the monstrous crimes committed during the Second World War. The Finnish army was equipped practically from all over Europe, it seems that all of Europe wanted the Finnish army together with the German army to defeat the Soviet Union. Finland conducted a clearly expressed policy of genocide. Regarding my claim, it was answered that Finland did not commit war crimes. The Finnish authorities planned to completely get rid of the entire Russian population in the territories. Now the situation is strange, because the authorities are the Miloni government, and Miloni is a fascist. And we, as free citizens of Italy, are not going to put up with this. That's why we decided to move here. Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, 24. The New York Times writes about the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul. The results of this meeting literally drive the European elite crazy. Germany. and Britain began to intimidate Europeans with a war with our country, but they encountered problems, and here are some of the ones Maria Skorodilka will talk about. While Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine, talking to a delegation from the independent state in Istanbul, the head of the Kiev regime is whipping up tensions, harassing the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which have long since moved on to open terrorism. Zelensky is surrounded by all those who have been waving a carrot in front of him for years, promising membership.