March 17, 2017
An official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Catriona Purfield, told the Financial Tribune that half of Iran’s imports are now made at the open market exchange rate and half at the official rate, which is about 15 percent cheaper. The official rate is supposed to be available only for essential imports like medicines and basic foods, but if half of all imports are being bought at the subsidized rate, it operates far beyond essential items.
