Free Zones Have Turned Into Hubs for Smuggling Goods
IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK
TEHRAN – Attorney-General Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Jafar Montazeri criticized the current condition of free trade zones and said the zones have turned into hubs for smuggling goods.
In a TV program, Montazeri said that the judiciary has banned handover of commercial card to other parties and warned Registration Offices that if they do not abide by the law, they will be charged with accomplice.
He said some people hire those cards and take advantage of them in order to evade paying tax.
Mr. Montazeri added that Chamber of Commerce should revise its regulations for issuing commercial cards.
He added that commercial cards were some factor behind smuggling and it should be dealt strongly.
He noted that smuggling has negative impact on the occupation and boom in production, adding that corruption has many dimensions.
He went on to say that free trade zone is aimed at pick-up in exports in the zone but now everything has gone in the opposite direction and they have turned into hubs for pick-up in imports. He urged officials of the zones to abide by law and to have supervision over activities and contraband goods.
He also noted that fighting with smuggling goods and forex is not duty of a certain branch of the system and all bodies should enter the scene and to combat with smuggling seriously, admitting that he does not see this determination seriously in some places.
On the charges against former governor of Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif, the attorney general said that the case is under probe and he is currently unable to leave the country.
On tax evasion of lawyers and doctors, he said health ministry should pursue the issue and it should find legal framework to tackle the issue in collaboration with finance ministry.
He also reiterated that the judiciary is determined to fight corruption and it has started this fight from itself and it has dismissed some judges.
Montazeri added that recent measures of the judiciary for fighting economic corruption have been warmly welcomed by the public.
