By Trend

The director of the Iranian association of computer sellers has criticized the administration's recent decision to ban imports of computers as luxury goods, saying that it may cause a 3-5 time rise in prices of computer components, the Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.

The average Iranian family holds a computer or more. It is surprising that computer has been included in the list of luxury goods, he added.

Iran has temporarily banned the import of some "luxury goods" including foreign-made cars and mobile phones to save billions of dollars for essential products in the face of worsening sanctions.

Authorities have divided imports into 10 categories based on how essential they are seen to be, and will provide importers with dollars at a subsidized rate to buy basic goods.

Import permission for some luxury goods, from foreign-made cars, mobile phones and laptops to home appliances and clothing, were no longer being issued until there is a final review, according to reports.

"Those products not produced domestically will be removed from the list (of banned items) but most of the named products are produced in the country and there is no need to import them," Commerce Ministry official Sasan Khodaei said.

 

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