The massive stockpile remained locked up due to mismanagement by the regime’s Central Bank, and could leave pharmacies without essential drugs for its customers, the Head of the Medicine Import Union Naser Riyahi said.
Mr Riyahi added: “Presently there are many different kinds of medicines and medical products worth 60 to 70 million dollars stored in internal customs that is not allowed to be released.
“Companies importing medicine have loaned a lot to pharmacies and insurance companies, and since these loans have not been paid on time, importers of medicine are facing a great lack of liquidity.
If the situation continued, the medicines held by customs would eventually decay, Mr Riyahi said, adding: “In previous years the currency for imported medicines was assigned very quickly and swiftly released from customs.
“However, this year restrictions in this area have increased and the Central Bank is not cooperating properly.”
Last year, medicine and medical equipment were among the Iran’s principal imported goods and the official foreign exchange rate was received for its import. But the Central Bank then announced at the end of April that medicine should now only be imported using the market foreign exchange rate.
Meanwhile the Iranian regime’s deputy health minister Abbas Haji-Akhondi blamed the regime’s poor lack of management for the high prices of medicine in the country.
He said: “If the Customs, the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade and the Central Bank cooperated with each other, medicine could be provided.”