He made the announcement in a meeting with provincial governors general. He did not make clear if he was going to ask the Majlis for such authority.
He urged the governors general to use their local police to probe prices and ferret out instances were prices were being manipulated and jacked up.
It has been common in Iran to blame high prices on conspiracies rather than the laws of economics or the government’s own policies. The Shah once ordered police into retail shops found charging high prices; store managers were beaten and flogged.
Tehran Governor General Morteza Tamadon charged that the Pak Dairy, the largest dairy firm in Iran, had illicitly jacked up the price of milk in Tehran and other cities.
The Mehr news agency quoted Tamadon as saying the country produced 11 million tons of milk, which he called a large enough supply to hold prices steady in the market.
Mehr said the Pak Dairy responded that actual production in Iran was closer to 6 million tons. The report did not indicate if production was rising or falling, which would be more relevant to the issue of rising prices.
Tamadon also said 13 farmers in Tehran province have been fined 150 billion rials ($1.3 million) for selling milk at inflated prices.
Since January, when the value of the rial against the dollar plummeted, there have been numerous reports of huge price increases. Food prices are the most sensitive as they are the most visible and surging prices tend to outrage housewives and make them more outspoken about politicians.
