Paper prices increase by 22% in Iran within 48 hours
The price of a ream of paper in Iran has increased by 100,000 Tomans in the past 48 hours. In addition to the publishing and book industries, the pressure of this price increase will be on families who have to provide textbooks and notebooks for their students.
As the Tehran International Book Fair is being held, news comes of a 22 percent increase in paper prices in Iran in just the past 48 hours.
Hossein Mirbagheri, head of the Paper and Cardboard Sellers' Union, announced in an interview with Tasnim News Agency on Monday, April 29, that the price of each ream of paper in the open market has increased by 100,000 tomans over the past 48 hours. He said: "The price of each ream of 70-gram 70x100 paper has increased from 450,000 tomans in the open market to 550,000 tomans within 48 hours."
The increase in paper prices and its possible continuation will not only negatively affect the press, publishing and book industries, which are already suffering from the increase in the price of their raw materials, but will also target families who will have to purchase and provide textbooks, supplementary books, and notebooks for their students in the coming months.
The news of the 22 percent increase in paper prices coincides with the holding of the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair, which opened last Tuesday, May 23, with a speech by Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and will continue until May 4 at the Chehelsara complex located on the southern side of Ayatollah Khomeini's prayer hall.
Meanwhile, the increase in paper prices is already showing its impact on the publishing and book industry. Yousef Alikhani, director of Amut Publishing, told ANA News Agency yesterday, referring to the increase in paper prices: "We had prepared 18 new book titles for this year's exhibition, but unfortunately, due to the high cost of paper, we were only able to deliver five titles to the exhibition, and the rest did not reach the printing stage."
Today, Monday, also coincident with the sixth day of the Tehran Book Fair, Leader of the Islamic Republic Ali Khamenei visited the fair. Meysam Nili, CEO of the Islamic Revolution Publishers Assembly, said in this regard that he raised “several discussions” during his meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Republic, including the issue of “paper and the difficulties of the printing and publishing industry,” and said: “The fact that the price of paper has tripled with the dollar should not mean that it has increased by 5.5 times! But as long as we have this enemy, there will be difficulties. That is why we must become self-sufficient to get out of the difficulties.”
Khamenei: I will help.
According to Nili, the Leader of the Islamic Republic also confirmed his words and said: "Regarding paper and the flow of domestic paper production, guidance is not the only focus of operations. Rather, the Ministry of Integrity must intervene."
Meysam Nili added: "On the issue of the paper, he said, 'I will help. You, the publishing organizations, provide the groundwork, and I will help.' I also said, 'We have sent a letter and done the necessary things.' The gentleman also said, 'I will help, and if necessary, I will give the necessary instructions.'"
Mohsen Javadi, the head of the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair and Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, had previously said that in this fair, which was held with the slogan "Reading is being able to do something," 2,400 domestic publishers and 800 foreign publishers will present their works "directly or indirectly." It is said that domestic publishers are present in the fair with 300,000 book titles and foreign publishers from 30 countries with 137,000 book titles.
Earlier, there were reports of an increase in the price of Iranian newspapers due to the high cost of paper. For example, after the end of the Nowruz holidays and the resumption of newspaper publication, the price of Shargh and Etemad newspapers doubled. The reason for this measure was stated to be the high cost of paper and a measure to "ensure sustainability" and prevent the "death of the media."
Hossein Abdollahi, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Arman Emrooz", also said in early April, referring to the bleak future of the Iranian print press: "The indifference of the authorities to press issues has caused the press to be in a state where there is no hope for their future and there are no strategies for the problems."
According to press activists, Iranian newspapers will not be able to survive without state currency. The supply of paper is facing serious problems, especially given the upward trend in its price. Three members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, who are themselves press managers, wrote an open letter to Hassan Rouhani on March 11, referring to the “300 percent” increase in the price of basic press publications and asked the Iranian president to come to the aid of the press.
Source: DW
