TEHRAN (Iran News) – Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade in a TV program said that the talks for imports of cars have started, reiterating that the imported cars will not be only limited to the Chinese cars and European cars with the prices below $10,000 are on the agenda.
Syed Reza Fatemi-Anin said that that he was in charge of the scheme for removing the old and dilapidated cars from the market and he has been in direct tie with auto industry and during his time in charge of the scheme over 225,000 old cars were removed while the figure was 45,000 cars before he took the helm in the scheme.
He reiterated that auto industry is very important and big industry in the country and its issues need to be resolved wisely in a certain span of time of two years. He reiterated that this two-year plan will start next year till the end of the current government and it will be a turning point.
He then pointed to President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi’s visit of the auto-making companies last year and his orders regarding the rise in the amount of the guarantee from two to three years. He added that the President also ordered the carmakers to increase their production by 50% comparing t the preceding year, reiterating that this year the carmakers have planned for producing 1.5m cars by the yearend while they produced less than 900,000 cars last year.
Fatemi-Amin claimed that in recent years even car production in the biggest world carmakers has declined by 20m cars. He added that the ministry manages only 25%, auto production accounts only for 3% of the figure.
He added that since the beginning of the new year till June 8, some 223,000 cars have been delivered while the figure for the same period last year was 170,000 cars and it shows 31% growth in car delivery.
He stressed that all should work to resolve problems of this industry and announced his opposition regarding holding draw for selling cars.
Regarding the imports of cars, he said that the government is preparing a regulation on the imports of cars, reiterating that the government insists on imports of cars with prices lower than $10,000, admitting that some home-made cars are more expensive than importing cars. He warned the domestic carmakers over producing low quality cars and said they should be improved.
Fatemi-Amin refuted some allegations that only Chinese cars will be allowed to be imported and said European cars with prices less than $10,000 are on the list on imports.
He then imported the government’s decision for eliminating the preferential forex rate of 42,000 tomans per dollar and said with this decision, the price of the smuggled home appliances have increased and the domestic-made home appliance sector will benefit it.
He also blamed recent international developments and international rise in prices for the rise of prices in the country, reiterating that the government by halving the tariff on imports has tried to balance the prices and reform them. He reiterated there is coordination between all bodies for controlling and balancing the prices.
Fatemi-Amin also said that the country’s transit revenues have increased by 100% as the country has signed agreements with six neighboring countries on the insurance issue.
He once again reiterated that the country should move in direction of reforming the structures and creating infrastructures for improving the economic condition.
