The lack of production and supervision on allocating foreign currency made paper expensive and scarce.

According to the book and literature correspondence of Fars News Agency, following the unbridled increase in the prices of various types of paper, some consumers have been complaining about the current situation.

 

One of the active people in this sector, by filing his request on the “My Fars” system of Fars News Agency called for following up the shortage of paper and the two-fold price of paper sold by some vendors in the current situation.

 

The Fars News Agency has prepared different reports and interviews in this regard before, but today we are asking Abolfazl Roghani Golpaiegani, the head of Industrial Commission of the Chamber of Commerce and the head of the Syndicate of Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers, about the reasons for the lack of supervision. The following is the full text of the interview with the head of Industrial Commission of the Chamber of Commerce and the head of the Syndicate of Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers.

 

He stated, “The reason for the shortages and the costly price of paper is the conflict existing between supply and the allocation of foreign currency at exchange rate of 4200Tomans. The government has approved to provide the currency exchange rate of 4200Tomans for the supply of newsprint and books.

 

In another part of his talks, Roghani said, “The government intends to allocate foreign currency but has no resources. At present, there are goods which have been registered for several months, but there are problems with supplying credit for them, so the background for paper imports has dropped sharply.”

 

This official said in another part of his speech on why the domestic manufacturers do not help when the paper prices has multiplied on the market, “We have consistently reminded this matter in the past years. Even the Fars News Agency has cooperated with the manufacturers well in the past years, too, but there was no appropriate space and route to develop and expand their activities. Therefore, the domestic production failed due to lack of support in the past. If manufacturers intend to produce now, they require imports. Again, the issue of allocating and supplying foreign currencies will be discussed, but the second matter is the sanctions. The supply and allocation of foreign currencies may take place, but the European countries will not work with us, and we will face sanctions, so the factories which intend to produce will not have the possibility of production.

 

Therefore, domestic production failed because of lack of support in the past; now, if a manufacturer wants to produce it, it requires import. Again, the discussion of allocation and supply of currency in this direction, but the second discussion is a boycott. Supply and allocation may take place, but European countries do not work with us, and the boycott comes up, and domestic factories that intend to produce do not have the possibility of production.

 

Considering harmful controls another issue, Roghani noted, “It is correct that the government has allocated and supplied foreign currency, which indicates the government has had some controls up to here, but there is no regulatory supervision on wholesalers and retailers. Because when the government allocates the USD at the exchange rate of 4200Tomans, it should control the whole process to the end. When someone receives the allocated foreign currency and imports, he should supply the goods at an appropriate price which could be effective, but there are capillary networks who sell at other prices.”

 

He added, “I suggest the government should permit order registration with the foreign currency at Nima exchange rate, and the importers should be allowed to import so that we will have plenty of paper on the market. At present, consumers are suffering from two issues; first, there is no paper on the market, second the price is too expensive. However, the imports at Nima exchange rate will cut down the prices.”

 

At the end, the head of the Syndicate of Paper and Cardboard manufacturers noted, “There is now no capacity of domestic production in the country to provide the consumers with; because the required supports were not provided for the manufacturers in the past. On the other hand, the cargos of those who received the foreign currency have long been stuck in customs. Sanction by ourselves is worse that the sanctions by others. Therefore, the organizations have made the conditions so hard that the imports have faced difficulties.”