Financial Tribune - The list of banned imports got longer, as the government unfolds its latest foreign trade decision that adds 120 goods to the previous list of 1,530.

The decision was made by the heads of the three branches of power in the last week's meeting of the Supreme Council of Economic Coordination in response to a call by Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

On Nov. 3, the Leader addressed a gathering of university and high school students, in which he urged officials to institute policies to boost domestic production, Khamenei.ir reported.

“As for boosting production, one of the ways to boost production is by preventing the import of products produced inside the country. Why do they not prevent it? This is my serious question to the honorable officials! There are individuals who breathe with imports. Their life, their windfall wealth and their resources depend on imports. That is why they do not allow unnecessary imports to be prevented. Is it they or unemployed youth who come first? The country’s jobless youth stay unemployed with unnecessary imports that undermine domestic production,” he said.

“The real cure is to research the correct policies notified to the honorable officials–whether to the administration or to the Majlis–and to implement them in practice. This is the way to resolve the problems of the country.”

Last year, the government banned imports of 1,339 items categorized as “Group Four”—products that are “non-essential” and have “counterparts made at home”—in a move to economize on foreign currency.