Allocating foreign currency at governmental exchange rate to import cigarette paper; ignorance or hidden hands!?

A few days ago, the deputy of the Ministry of Health criticized what is called "the involvement of powerful mafia in the import of tobacco and cigarette paper" and said, "Despite the outrageous US sanctions and while we have to bargain for foreign currency at governmental exchange rate to import medicine, 16 million USD at governmental exchange rate was given to import cigarette paper."

In this respect, in an interview with ISNA News Agency, regaring one of the main responsibilities of the government as an optimal allocation of the resources,  Amrullah Amini- the faculty member of the faculty of economics at Allameh Tabataba'i University- said, "The optimal allocation of resources means that if the financial resource is limited, it should be used with the best policy, which is true not only in crisis situations but also in normal circumstances."

Referring to the necessity to prioritize the country's requirements, he stated, "While there are restrictions on the imports of medical equipment and other basic requirements of the country, the allocation of the foreign currency at the governmental exchange rate to import cigarette paper which has dangerous effect on human health shows some officials' ignorance about economic issues."

The faculty member of the faculty of economics at Allameh Tabataba'i University continued, "Otherwise, it should be said that there may be the involvement of those who intend to violate rules and regulations." 

The foreign currency should be allocated to the people's health rather than the production of cigarettes!

Amini further called these types of decisions as a management crisis and said, "While sufficient foreign currency has not been allocated to people's health, we spent our currency on something opposite to the health of people."

Stating that the US Treasury Department is monitoring all our economic exchanges, this economic expert finally underlined, "In these conditions, the foreign currency resources of the country should be spent on the basis of the people's basic needs and priorities."

According to ISNA, these statement are being made while the head of the Industrial Affairs of the Center of Planning and Control of Tobacco announced in April this year that 13 licenses were issued for the establishment of cigarette production, five of which will be launched this year, and that 48 billion cigarettes were produced which is the highest quantities of cigarette production in the history of the tobacco industry of the country."