Iran allots over $1.75bln to import staple foods, medicine
Iran has allocated $1.6 billion to import staple foods and $157
million to import medicine and medical equipment since the
beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), IRNA
news agency reported, citing a statement by the Central Bank.
There is no problem for allocating dollar to import staple foods
and medicine, according to the report.
On Tuesday, Mehr news agency quoted an Iranian MP as saying that
Iranian Central Bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani has said that no
official rate dollar has been allocated to import medicine.
The MP, who remained anonymous, added that Bahmani has said
official rate dollar had allocated to import staple foods, such as
edible oil.
Previously, Iran's Health Ministry official Hossein Ayati said some
97 percent of Iran's required medicine is currently produced
domestically, adding that about 50 percent of necessary raw
material for producing the medicine is imported.
Last year, some $1.7 billion was allocated to import medicine which
is not produced inside the country, the official said.
In November 2012, the health ministry called the Central Bank to
earmark $2 billion for importing medicine to cope with the domestic
shortage as a result of international sanctions.