Iran Economic News Headlines - May 08

1. Behrouz Nemati, a spokesman of Majlis Presiding Board: Gasoline rationing and price hikes have been put on hold for the time being. (IRNA)
2. Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami: Efforts are underway for Iran’s flag carrier airline Iran Air to go public. (Mehr News Agency)
3. Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif: Iran and the EU are on the brink of agreement which, despite the return of unilateral American sanctions, will make Iranian oil sales possible. (Russian news agency RIA)
4. Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari: Iran has put on agenda the indigenous production of US-sanctioned medicines. (IRNA)
5. Deputy Industries Minister Jafar Sarqeini: Sanctions will fail to hurt Iran's mining sector. (IRNA)
6. Deputy Economy Minister Mohammad Ali Dehqan: The government policy to slash four zeros from the national currency is aimed at enhancing accounting operations and would not have any economic effect. (ILNA)
7. Mahmoud Jamsaz, economic analyst: The engine of a free, competitive economy would rev up, provided the scientific principles of economics are applied in the country. (Persian daily Iran)
8. Mohammad Mousavi, an official with Agriculture Ministry: Late frost has inflicted losses amounting to 100 trillion rials [$655.73 million] on the agriculture sector of 24 Iranian provinces. (IRNA)
9. Ali Asghar Mounesan, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization: As per the figures of the Central Bank of Iran, tourism industry generated $11.8 billion in the last [fiscal] year [March 2018-19]. (Miras Arya News Agency) 
10. Mohammad Khaledi, a parliamentarian: Hidden subsidies worth 9,000 trillion rials [$60 billion] are paid [by the Iranian government] annually. (ILNA) 
11. Mehdi Pirsalehi, director general of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration: Brazilian banks can cooperate with Iran in purchasing pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. (Otaghiranonline.ir)
12. Behzad Etemadi, the deputy head of Industrial Development and Renovation Organization: Iran supplies 2% of products needed in the region. (IRNA)
13. Secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines Maqsoud Asadi-Samani: Demand for international flights declined by 20% last [fiscal] year. (ILNA)
14. Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani: Export to the neighboring countries is the government's top priority. (Otaghiranonline.ir)
15. Shahriar Geravandi, a member of the board of directors at Cement Industry Employers Association: Currently, 71 cement production units produce about 85 million tons of cement in Iran, 60% of which are consumed domestically. (ILNA)
16. First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri: Promotion of non-oil export is the main priority of the country. (Mehr News Agency)
17. Majid Nami, a board member of Iran’s Textile and Apparel Production and Export Union: [Iran's] Textile industry is struggling with lack of capital and raw materials. (IRNA)
18. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna: The OPEC Fund for International Development has approved an aid of $500,000 to the flood-stricken people of Iran. (IRNA)
19. Jamshid Barzegar, the head of Iranian Housing Mass Builders Association: The housing market went through two very volatile episodes over the past six years, which was made worse by government intervention. (ILNA)