Pilgrims to Mecca Will Become 'Hajis' with a 39,000 Toman Dollar

In Iran, the Cabinet has set the exchange rate for expenses related to the Hajj pilgrimage for the upcoming year at approximately 39,000 tomans. The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the security institutions of the Islamic Republic, reported that based on the government's decision, the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran will, upon the request of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, transfer the mentioned amount to Saudi Arabia from available currencies at a rate equivalent to the dollar. Some critics believe that the 39,000 toman dollar, while it is expected that the dollar rate in the free market will exceed 60,000 tomans next year, represents a significant rent for this group of individuals. Critics argue that if currency is available in the country, prioritizing basic goods, production inputs, and medicine should take precedence over Hajj travel. The increase in the exchange rate for pilgrims to 39,000 tomans comes after the government had announced a rate of 28,500 tomans for Hajj currency in 2023, and this increase is seen by some experts as a precursor to raising the exchange rate for importing basic goods and raw materials. Analysts view the reduction of the budget for importing basic goods at the rate of 28,500 tomans to 10 billion dollars next year as a precursor to increasing the import exchange rate to around 40,000 tomans. The allocation of 10 billion dollars for importing basic goods and medicine comes while in previous years, imports of these items exceeded 20 billion dollars annually. Given this, the website 'Tejarat News' has noted that comparing the proposed figures in next year's budget bill with the amount of basic goods imports in previous years indicates planning for a reduction in the allocation of 28,500 toman currency for basic goods, and 'a tough year is likely ahead for the middle and lower classes of society.'