End the smuggling of basic goods by reforming the preferred currency / subsidy that goes to the smugglers instead of the people

According to the economic correspondent of Fars News Agency, one of the issues that has grown rapidly with the allocation of preferential currency in the country and has created many problems for everyone, including the people, producers and the government, is the issue of corruption and the formation of smuggling gangs. The country is related to other countries.

Over the past few decades, and especially in the four years that the preferential exchange rate policy has been implemented in the country, smuggling of basic goods from Iran to neighboring countries has become a safe source for profiteers and elements who abuse government subsidies on Iranian goods. And have turned it into a profitable and sustainable business for themselves outside the borders of the Islamic Republic.

According to the head of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Trafficking Headquarters, before 1990, we had about $ 25 billion in import smuggling, which, with the proper arrangements of the system, reached $ 12.5; But after the expansion of sanctions and its escalation in 1997, there was talk of reverse trafficking, which is about $ 5.5 billion, so the amount of smuggling in and out of the country has reached about $ 17 billion to $ 18 billion.

* 2 exchange rate appreciation; The cause of corruption and rent

According to many economic experts, policies such as the preferential currency of 4200 Tomans are the basis for harms such as rent, corruption and smuggling. This is due to the formation of two different exchange rates.

Kamran Rahimi, an expert on Iran’s economic issues, in an interview with Fars News Agency’s economic correspondent, said about the reasons for the corruption of the preferential exchange rate policy: Sales of imported goods increase with the exchange rate.

He continued: “In this situation, with the growth of demand for imports, the government will face many difficulties to provide the currency needed by the country to import basic goods, due to its large differences with the free market.”

In fact, the problem is that the subsidies, which belong to all Iranians, benefit the pockets of smugglers who, due to the cheapness of goods subject to preferential currency, make huge profits from smuggling these goods and selling them in the region at world prices. Were obtained.

* How were imported goods smuggled in the preferred currency?

Wheat smuggling to neighboring countries has reportedly become a major problem, raising concerns that the supply of this strategic commodity within the country could be jeopardized if this trend continues; Although There are no exact statistics on trafficking, however Officials The country’s elders confirm its existence.

Important Most The reason for smuggling in recent years was the low price of wheat at home relative to world prices, which increased its profitability abroad for smugglers. There were even reports that imported wheat was imported at 4,200 tomans. They were also smuggling.

The next issue is the export of industrial products produced with imported wheat, which has caused subsidies for this product to go to foreign pockets. The country allocates subsidies to flour and wheat industries and factories, and they export their products abroad.

Studies show that about 300,000 to 400,000 tons of pasta are exported annually by factories that have received cheap government wheat, so that all countries are looking to increase production and storage of wheat and other basic commodities. The domestic policy should be such that at least the subsidy for this product enters the people’s table.

Following the implementation of the plan for the fair distribution of subsidies in the country, there are rumors that this measure will have an immediate effect on reducing or stopping the smuggling of Iran’s basic goods to neighboring countries. Studies show that there has been a change in the prices of Iranian smuggled goods in the markets of countries around Iran, especially a multiplier increase in the prices of flour, edible oils and other foodstuffs.

It seems that the reform of the preferential exchange rate policy was able to solve the issue of smuggling to neighboring countries to a large extent; But at the same time as overcoming the problem of smuggling, the legal and official trade route must be paved and a basic strategy must be developed and implemented to encourage traders and trade activists in the border areas of the two countries to use customs and official routes for the transfer of goods.

If this possibility is provided more than before, domestic producers will also hope to export their surplus products, and this can lead to a boom in domestic production.

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