New Regulations Announced; Import Currency for Meat and Tea Increased

The Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade (IMT) announced in separate letters that various types of fresh or frozen meat and tea have been transferred to the currency group 22 from the "Second Hall". Accordingly, these goods have been moved to the "Second Hall" of non-essential goods, which is actually the hall needed for "producers of industries, etc." whose currency supply is based on export sales. As a result, the Nima currency for the import of these two products has been eliminated. Previously, these items were supplied with currency in the "First Hall" of Nima, which includes essential goods, medicine, and food, based on a dollar rate of 28,500 tomans. Meanwhile, during the provision of government currency for these items, there was a sharp increase in prices and a decrease in their consumption. In this regard, on August 2, an economic website reported on the red meat market in Tehran, stating that the price of each kilogram of stewing meat ranged from 400,000 to 999,000 tomans, confirming that the price of stewing meat in some areas of Tehran has reached "the border of one million tomans". According to Tejarat News, investigations show that the upward trend in red meat prices continues, and in this situation, there is no determination to solve this problem. On August 18, one of Iran's morning newspapers reported that the per capita consumption of red meat has decreased from 13 kilograms in the year 1390 (2011) to 3 kilograms in the year 1401 (2022). According to the latest reports, the inflation rate for red meat has reached 86%, and the inflation rate for chicken has also reached 82%, which has led to a shrinking of people's tables. This economic situation and the decrease in the consumption of essential items, alongside "inflationary" policies, have occurred while Ebrahim Raisi ordered the "eradication of absolute poverty" by the end of that year, just two weeks later on March 14, 2022. The livelihood basket of Iranians is shrinking; the clothing budget for lower deciles is 30,000 tomans a year. The acceleration of poverty in Iran has led to a review of the social stratification by the government. A report from a newspaper on the livelihood situation in Iran; meat has become expensive, and chicken has soared. Inflation has struck the roots of livelihoods; buying half a loaf of bread has become common.