Smuggling continues while mobile import tariff in force: market expert

“The World Trade Organization has called on Iran to regulate its economy and trade in accordance with WTO’s procedures but Tehran has not responded yet,” Ali-Akbar Moemeni told Mobna news agency.
“Joining WTO requires deleting tariffs and we are obliged to dispense with tariffs if we intend to join WTO,” he added.
He said the Iranian authorities have maintained that the tariff on the imported mobile set has been levied to protect the domestic production.
“But for Iran to join WTO it is necessary that its new industries, such as mobile production, continues without government protection,” he asserted.
“There is no infrastructure in Iran for investment by major manufacturing companies, and such companies are therefore intent on importing mobile sets,” he said.
He believes the groundwork for mobile set production must be prepared by foreign companies before Iran can manufacture its own.
“The privatization of telecommunication company at the Tehran Stock Exchange means, in effect, revitalization of the private sector and, we hope, less government intervention.” he concluded.

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