22% Increase in Paper Prices in Iran Within 48 Hours
The price of each ream of paper in Iran has increased by 100,000 tomans within the past 48 hours. The pressure from this price increase will affect not only the publishing and book industry, but also families who need to provide textbooks and notebooks for their students.
Coinciding with the holding of the Tehran International Book Fair, news arrives of a 22% increase in paper prices in Iran within just the past 48 hours.
Hossein Mirbaqeri, head of the paper and cardboard retailers’ guild union, announced on Monday, 9th of Ordibehesht (April 29), in an interview with Tasnim news agency, that the price of each ream of 70-gram paper has increased by 100,000 tomans in the open market over the past 48 hours, and said: “The price of each ream of 70-gram, 70 by 100 paper increased from 450,000 tomans in the open market to 550,000 tomans within 48 hours.”
The increase in paper prices and its likely continuation will have a negative impact not only on press and publishing industries, which in any case suffer from rising raw material costs, but will also target families who must procure and provide textbooks, supplementary books, and notebooks needed by their students in the coming months.
News of the 22% increase in paper prices coincided with the holding of the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair, which opened last Tuesday, 3rd of Ordibehesht, with a speech by Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and will continue until 14th of Ordibehesht at the Chehel Sotun complex located on the southern side of Ayatollah Khomeini Prayer Ground.
Meanwhile, the increase in paper prices is already showing its impact on the publishing and book industry. Yousef Alikhan, director of Amout Publishing, said yesterday to ANA news agency, referring to the rise in paper prices: “We had prepared 18 new book titles for this year’s exhibition, but unfortunately due to the high price of paper, we could only bring five titles to the exhibition, and the rest did not reach the printing stage.”
Today, Monday, coinciding with the sixth day of the Tehran Book Fair, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, visited this exhibition. Meisam Nili, CEO of the Islamic Revolution Publishers Assembly, said in this regard that during the meeting with the Supreme Leader, “several issues” including the topic of “paper and the problems of the printing and publishing industry” were raised, and he said: “When the dollar has tripled, the price of paper should not have increased five and a half times! But as long as we have this enemy, there are difficulties. That is why we must become self-sufficient to overcome these difficulties.”
Khamenei: I Will Help
According to Nili, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, while confirming his remarks, also said: “Regarding paper and the domestic paper production process, it is not only the Ministry of Guidance that should be involved in operations. Rather, the Ministry of Industry should also be involved.”
Meisam Nili added: “On the issue of paper, he said I will help. You publishers’ organizations provide the ground and I will help. I also mentioned that we have sent a letter and taken initial steps. He also said I will help and if necessary, I will also issue the necessary orders.”
Mohsen Javadi, head of the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair and deputy minister of culture and Islamic guidance, had previously stated that at this exhibition, which is being held under the slogan “Reading is Possible,” 2,400 domestic publishers and 800 foreign publishers present their works “directly or indirectly.” It is reported that domestic publishers with 300,000 book titles and foreign publishers from 30 countries around the world with 137,000 book titles are participating in this exhibition.
Earlier reports had also been published about the increase in the price of Iranian newspapers due to rising paper costs. For instance, following the end of the Nowruz holiday and the resumption of newspaper publications, the prices of Shargh and Etemaad newspapers doubled. The reason for this action was cited as including paper price increases and a measure to “sustain” and prevent “media death.”
Hossein Abdollahi, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Arman Emrouz,” had also said in early Farvardin month, referring to the bleak future of Iran’s print press: “The indifference of officials toward press issues has put the press in a situation where there is no hope for their future, and there is no strategy for their problems either.”
According to press activists, Iranian newspapers will not be able to continue without government foreign currency. Securing paper, especially given the upward trend of price increases, faces serious challenges. Three members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly who are themselves press managers sent an open letter on 21st of Esfand to Hassan Rouhani, referring to the “300 percent” increase in the price of main newspaper publishing items, asking the President of Iran to help the press.
Source: DW
