Iranian Lawmakers Pushing for Higher Car Prices, Loan Packages

The strong lobby of Iranian car companies in the parliament is pushing for a new vehicle price hike, with a lawmaker claiming car production costs surpass revenues and another MP calling on the government and banks to offer more loans to the two top carmakers.
MP Abdollah Rezaeian told Tasnim News Agency, “One of SAIPA’s managers have told me that the production of [small car] Pride costs the car company 430 million rials [$2,960]. This is while the firm has been mandated to sell the vehicle for 380 million rials [$2,620].”
The same model changes hands for over 500 million rials ($3,450) in the market.
Rezaeian called on the Competition Council to look into the issue and let SAIPA increase prices if the claim is true.