TEHRAN- During a meeting held on Wednesday, some Iranian high-ranking officials discussed the issue of supplying basic commodities for the country, IRNA reported.

As reported, the meeting was chaired by First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami, Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani and his deputy Hossein Modares Khiabani, besides Head of Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht.

As announced last week by Central Bank of Iran (CBI)’s Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, despite the U.S. sanctions and their most pressures on Iranian economy Iran has managed to supply $35.5 billion for importing basic commodities in the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 21, 2019).

The official said that of the mentioned figure, about $14 billion has been for importing some more essential goods such as medicine, medical equipment and livestock food, and there is an abundant supply of such products in the country.

In last December, industry, mining and trade minister had announced that the basic goods that the country needs in the current Iranian calendar year and also in the next year have been reserved.

The minister said the government and private sector’s warehouses are already filled up with the basic commodities and there is no concern in this due.

Also, the deputy finance and economic affairs minister has announced that the government has provisioned $14 billion of official-rate foreign currency in the next Iranian calendar year (March 2020-March 2021)’s budget bill for imports of basic goods.

Importers of rice, barley, corn, edible oils, oilseeds, and livestock feed, as well as medicines and a few other items are going to receive the government support, according to Mohammad-Ali Dehqan Dehnavi.

“The government has identified these goods as the basic needs of the people and has decided to keep the prices of such items low in the market, so $14 billion of foreign currency with official rate will be provided to the importers of these commodities next year,” Dehnavi said.

MA/MA