Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, Sept. 11, 2018 – Following Iran’s ongoing economic crisis and the skyrocketing price of the U.S. dollar at currency exchanges across the country, and the mullahs’ regime deciding to impose new policies, hundreds of workers in Iran’s textile industry are losing their jobs.
According to new regime policies, there will no longer be any U.S. dollar available at the fixed government rate of 42,000 rials – previously available for some businesses. As a result, textile factories will not be able to purchase and/or import raw material, bringing a halt to its production lines.
“Around 200 workers in one factory are now unemployed due to the fact that two production lines in the Jelfakaran factory are now working at a limited capacity. A renowned textile factory will soon be completely closed, resulting in 520 employees losing their jobs,” a textile factory manager said to the state-run ILNA news agency.
One particular textile factory, located in the Aras region of Iran, is now forced to purchase its raw material using U.S. dollars purchased at 80,000 rials in the secondary market. Factory managers are saying they cannot continue purchasing raw material at such prices and have decided to close down.
Unemployment in such factories that rely on raw materials imported from abroad is taking place at a time when employees of many factories and productions centers across Iran are seen going on strike and holding protest rallies.
A recent open-door session of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) shed new light on the country’s economy and poor living condition of ordinary Iranians.
“To those government officials who are trying comfort themselves with unreal statistics, our workers and employees, young and old, are all living in conditions with inflation reaching 60 or 70 percent,” said Majlis member Mohsen Bigleri. “Mr. Rouhani, we have five million unemployed people and most of them are college educated, and yet they’re struggling to procure their next meal… The prices of people’s basic necessities, such as meat, poultry, dried goods, and fruits have increased more than 70 percent…”
Sedif Badri, another member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) expressed concerns about the inflation and skyrocketing prices.
“The government’s weak and indefensible economic practices… unbridled inflation increase and skyrocketing prices, are imposing pressures on the lower class of our society and has completely disappointed our middle class… the people are truly being crushed under these conditions…” she added.
Alaedin Borujerdi, a member of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Affairs Commission, cited foul practices in Iran’s petrochemical industry.
“The petrochemical industry presents its own products in the stock market. Informed dealers purchase the products instantly… and these products are then sold to needy factories at extremely higher prices. The factories are forced to either not purchase the raw material or as a result, increase the prices of their own goods to an extreme extent. This results in inflation; people lack purchasing power and finally workers are fired from factories,” he explained.
Hossein-Ali Shahriari of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament):
“Are you aware that people have no income? Are you aware that the people’s drinking water has serious problems? Are you informed that people are leaving their ancestral homes and resorting to living in city slums…? What crime have these people committed to being punished like this?”
As explained by another Majlis member by the name of Gholamreza Sharafi, social issues in Iran are evolving into security matters.
“People in parts of Abadan (in southwest Iran) haven’t had decent drinking water for 17 years… These innocent people rarely see a blue sky due to air contamination. These people have the sea, yet non-standard laws have made fishing difficult for them. These people once had the best dates production in the region. Today, however, their share of agriculture water is stolen and they are witnessing their date trees being destroyed,” he said. “4.3 million date trees have been lost.”
This is only the tip of the iceberg of the corruption, crimes, and theft taking place by Iranian regime officials. It’s strange how various European countries continue to seek appeasement deals with this regime that is engulfed in theft and corruption.
The Iranian people and the resistance units associated to the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) are seeking to bring an end to this regime. This regime’s days are numbered and those companies continuing to seek economic incentives should better plan for the future.
