Tehran, Iran, Feb.19
Trend:
Iran's new customs regulations have put pressure on the process of import registrations at the country's free zones, where free trading was supposed to be promoted.
"The issue of various customs regulations has forced the free zones to change the order registration or created limits for imported goods , it was the last nail in the coffin for the free zones," Deputy Director for Economic and Investment Affairs of Kish Free Zone Organization Mohammad Reza Saeedi told Trend.
He indicated that the new customs regulations have worked against the free zones, specially regarding registering the goods of 'group 4', that included 1,339 items of banned luxury goods.
"The free zone management was supposed to allow free transit according to the law and it would only be limited in case of religious or constitutional restriction, however the new regulations are not part of these exceptions and have put restrictions on the free zones.", he added.
Saeedi said the new regulations put limitations on businessmen, investors, as well as on economic activities of the free zones, and eventually will lead to heavy financial losses.
"Unfortunately, the investors have invested in the free zones according to previous regulations, but now their trade and registering goods is challenged by new customs regulations," he said.
"On the other hand, the imported goods from the free zones are not of considerable amount, comparing to the volume of country's imports, therefore making an exception for free zones would not affect the norms, but more problems for the free zones were created, and it all works against businessmen," he added.
"It is better if the officials run surveys about the new regulations at first, to prevent pressure on investors and cargo transits in the free zones," Saeedi suggested.