Page 50 - IRANRptOct20

The supply disruptions have been caused by the ongoing downward rally of the Iranian currency. The rial has lost around half its value against the dollar in 2020 to date. All imported products, including feedstuff, have thus become that much more expensive.
Iran imports approximately 80% of feedstuff for poultry feed production. Poultry World concluded: “At this moment in time, the total production of day-old chicks is about 110 million per month, while before the Covid-19 pandemic, this was 120 million. In May of 2020, the acute shortage of poultry feed on the domestic market prompted hatcheries to bury day-old chicks alive because no one was buying.
“According to the Iran Feed Industry Association, the Covid-19 pandemic was not to blame. The US sanctions have blocked payments for 3 million tonnes of imported corn and soybean, leaving the domestic market short of feedstuff. Iran’s poultry farmers called the government to take urgent steps to protect the domestic poultry industry. According to Asad-Nejad, the current crisis could have a severe and long term impact on Iran’s poultry industry.”
9.1.9​ Property sector news
Iran levies tax on speculators keeping homes empty
Iran has commenced its long-awaited scheme to push thousands of apartments and homes kept empty by owners on to the market by imposing an “empty home tax”, YJC reported on September 22.
A barrage of SMS messages was reportedly sent out to hundreds of thousands of mobile numbers, thought to be those of owners, informing them of their tax liability.
More than 109,000 residential properties have been officially listed as vacant on the Iranian Tax Affairs Organisation’s website as part of the first phase of a plan to force owners to rent or sell the empty homes. Part of the reasoning of the government is that developers are sitting on brand new apartment blocks in the hope that the per square-metre price on unlived-in flats rises.
Mahmoud Mahmoudzadeh, Deputy Housing and Construction Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said more than 500,000 SMS messages were sent out to registered telephone numbers of those thought liable for the tax. "The information on vacant units will be provided to the Tax Affairs Organisation and this organisation will collect taxes through the available information," he said.
The move would help deflate home prices and control the housing market, partly by removing speculators from the system, he added.
"The rise in housing prices over the past few years has been caused by the increasing dollar and gold coin prices, and parallel markets," Mahmoudzadeh also said.
He also mentioned a previous move made by his ministry in which Tehran rental prices and those of other cities were capped on a price per square metre basis.
"Fortunately, statistical and initial assessments in the rental market are showing that this market is moving towards a calmer situation," he said
9.1.10 ​Metallurgy & mining sector news
Iran, Russia sign engineering and mining MoU
The Iranian Mining Engineering Organisation (IMEO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Russian Export Centre (REC) to expand cooperation in engineering and mining, IRNA reported on August 18.
Discussions on such a cooperation have been taking place for months.
50​ IRAN Country Report October 2020 www.intellinews.com