“22 billion dollars will be given to the ministry by the government to provide basic goods for the year 1391 (which started on March 20),” Mohammad Ali Ziqami told the Mehr News Agency on Monday.
He said the ministry’s need to for providing basic goods in 1390 was about 20 billion dollars which has been increased to 22 billion dollars in the current year.
Food prices have jumped in the recent months. The government says the rise in prices is not related to the subsidy reform plan and attributes it to a hike in food prices in the global markets.
Ziqami said traders can import goods such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, wheat, barley, soybeans, and meat in which production at home cannot meet domestic consumption.
PA/PA
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MNA