Page 46 - IRANRptJul19

9.1.14 Utilities sector news
Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, Reza Rahmani, has pledged that the price of paper will be brought under further control.
Rahmani made the commitment on the sidelines of the Tehran Book Fair, IRNA reported.
The price of paper—in common with the prices for every other commodity in recent months under the economic pressure brought about by US sanctions—has skyrocketed in Iran. Newspaper and book publishers are finding it nigh on impossible to continue to put out their titles. Several newspapers have lately considered going digital-only in response to paper supply shortages and price hikes.
Rahmani met with Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, who serves as the country’s national censor and sets subsidy levels for newspapers and print companies.
Salehi reportedly said that the price of paper for the previous year was set at IRR42,000 per kilogram, adding: "This year, we are again trying to prevent paper price rises and help book publishers.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visited the book fair and urged the ministries to alleviate the pressure on traditional publishers.
Despite the government’s efforts, many Iranian publishers have been forced into the private market to purchase paper in bulk. The price of paper in the non-regulated market is several times higher than the stated government price.
Iraq’s Electricity Minister Luay al-Khateeb has said his country needs “at least three years” to remove Iranian energy supplies from its electricity and gas imports mix, Iraqi news channel IMN reported on May 7.
Iraq is heavily dependent on Iran for not only energy but also food and construction commodities like cement. Baghdad is under heavy pressure from the US to quickly curtail the amount of business it does with the Iranians to get in line with Washington’s sanctions regime directed at Tehran, but many requests received from the US regarding Iranian trade are regarded as non-starters with the Iraqis and Kurdistan officials.
Of Iraq’s neighbours, Iran has the most extensive land border with the country. Tehran also has major influence on Iraqi politics.
Al-Khateeb said Iraq would need at least two or three years to achieve self-sufficiency in electricity production.
“Iraq has told the Americans it currently needs to import gas and electricity from Iran,” the minister said, adding: “Iraq is importing close to 1,200 megawatts of electricity as well as gas for generating 2,800 megawatts of electricity.”
46 IRAN Country Report July 2019 www.intellinews.com