The Central Bank of Iran says from mid-April it allocated $815 million for importing medicine.
According to a press statement seen on bank's website, the money was paid as a part of an agreement between the Ministry of Health and the CBI, which requires the latter to pay $1 billion by July 21 to pay medical goods.
"A sum of $815 million was allocated since the signing of the agreement, $420 million of which was paid in the month ending May 21 and $324 million in the month to June 21," the CBI said.
It added that $71 million was given in the week to June 28."
The CBI says it is “doing all it can” to process the ministry's orders for currency. It has called on the Health Ministry and the Plan and Budget Organization to take appropriate measures to address demand for vital drugs, after the termination of the above-mentioned agreement.
The CBI's press release came after Jalil Mirmohammadi, a member of the Majlis Health Commission told reports that the CBI had allocated only $400 million of the agreed $1 billion medicine import.
In a TV speech on Friday, President Ebrahim Raisi said his government would continue to subsidize imported drugs unlike other essential goods like corn, soymeal, unprocessed oil, oilseeds and barley, in addition to wheat and flour for which the government stopped giving forex subsidies from May.
Following the steep rise in forex rates, the former government in 2018 embarked on a policy to subsidize currency for importing essential goods at 42,000 rials to the dollar.
