Tehran, Iran, Sept.2
Trend:
The prices on stationery items at Iran's market have increased, amid the approach of the school year, the head of Binder's and Lithographers Union in Tehran Jalil Ghafari Rahbar told Trend.
"The price of all the produced notebooks in our guild is based on free market foreign currency rate and only the publishers and press is receiving official foreign currency rate of 42,000 rial per US dollar. So, the prices on notebooks have increased," he said.
"While there have been negotiations with the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, we are told that the official foreign currency has nothing to do with the union," he said.
"The price of a notebook with free market foreign currency rate has tripled. For example, last Iranian year (started March 21, 2018) the price of a notebook was 50,000 rials (about $1.1) but the price has increased to 180,000 rials (about $4.2) in the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2019)," he said.
"The country needs between 140 to 150 million notebooks per year but in the new school year (starts September 23) only 15 million notebooks have been distributed with official foreign currency rate price," Rahbar indicated.
"Around 150 notebook producers are active across the country and notebook imports is banned. Previously, the exports of this item went to Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf states, but all has been banned since last year," he said.
"Currently, there is no problem in providing notebooks but these products are made based on free market rate and the paper is in disposal of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Our negotiations and meetings were not successful to obtain official foreign currency rate," he said.