Page 250 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

8

The Finance Minister on his tour of Bushirc during the year however
made no great concessions to merchants but only a reduction in the price of
sugar for Bushirc area in view of the enormous quantity of sugar being smuggled
into the country. &
Foreign exchange during the first half of the year was very firm and
business was fairly good but started to show signs of decline in the second half
of the year when it dropped to Rials 54 for the sterling and Rials 4.05 for
rupees. This decline of course gave no help to merchants as they were unable
to export Iranian produce to obtain their import licences. In fact the merchants
ceased forwarding consignments of Iranian produce abroad owing (o the
sudden decline in the rate of exchange because (o) of no demand on the
continent and (b) owing to the fact that they had to sell (heir foreign exchange
at such n low price as would involve them in losses.
Opium.—Opium is most definitely a product which brings great profit to
merchants when exported to the continent if it actually finds a market abroad.
Since the Government monopoly was abolished and a syndicate established
under the same title of “ Monopole d’Opium a Iran ” every effort has been
made to find a market for this valuable produce but apparently with little
success.
It will be noticed from the figures for .1934-35 that exports of opium to
the continent was much less even than last year. The total figure of 2,298 cases
exported both for illicit and legitimate consumption shows a decrease of
3,669 cases as against the total figure of 5,967 cases exported last year. This
decrease of course represents a very great loss to the Iranian revenue.
The following details show the export of opium during the year :—
Legitimate. Illicit.
April 1934 35 cases.
May 1934 330
June 1934 390
July 1934 50
August 1934 80
September 1934 .. 10 600 case?.
November 1934 .. 1
December 1934 400
February 1935 200
March 1935 152

1,698 cases.
Illicit 600 cases.

2,298 cases.

Of the figure exported for legitimate consumption the following table
shows the countries where opium was shipped :—
Japan .. 900 cases.
Germany .. 616 a
United Kingdom .. 40 it

France .. .. 141 a
1 case.
Holland ..