MNA � During the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (ending on May 21, 2019) Iran imported 1.2 million tons of basic goods, the deputy agriculture minister Yazdan Seif announced on Saturday.

According to Seif? who is also the CEO of Government Trading corporation of Iran, the announced figure shows a growth of 28 percent in comparison with the same period in the year before.

As reported, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) supplied over $6 billion in foreign currency for importing goods in the said two months, of which $3 billion was allocated for importing essential goods such as rice, vegetable oil, animal feedstock, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

The government has adopted the current subsidized currency plan for importing essential goods in a move to curb the galloping prices for the basic goods triggered by the steep decline in value of the rial against the dollar.