Iran MPs criticize car price hike

Tehran, July 14, IRNA – Three parliamentarians supervising the Council for Promoting Competitiveness criticized the recent hike in the prices of cars assembled in Iran.
Issa Emama, Mohammad Ali Madadi and Nader Qazipour expressed their opposition to the move in a written notification to the council. The protest came after the council yielded to pressure by carmakers and increased prices by 30 percent, ˈIran Dailyˈ wrote in its Upside/Downside column on Monday.

A report also said that the MPs will grill the Minister of Mines and Industries Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh on the price hike.

On the sidelines of a press conference, government spokesman, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, said such an increase is not admissible.

Nobakht criticized the council responsible for setting domestic car prices, urging it to reconsider its decision.

A parliamentarian recently said the main reason for the latest hike in the prices of cars is mismanagement in the auto industry.

“Currently the biggest problem of our industry in mismanagement,” said Behrouz Nemati, a member of the Majlis Mines and Industries Committee. The MP added a group of 50 people “are benefitting from car industry” and that they are not ready to “give up their interests”.

He also accused unnamed people of dictating to the Council for Promoting Competitiveness, which determines the price of cars produced in the country. Secretary of the Association of Iranian Auto Manufacturers Ahmad Nematbakhsh claimed the carmakers will be the ‘loser’ if they implement the council’s earlier approval. The council has increased the prices by 12 percent.

By IRNA

 

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