Iran Bans Advertisement of Foreign Goods with Domestic Rivals
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran on Saturday banned advertisement of all foreign goods and services which have a domestic rival, a first move in line with the Supreme Leader's decree for promoting Iran-made products.
Iran's Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in an approval on environmental advertisement in cities and intercity highways banned all types of commercials and advertisement of foreign goods and services.
"According to the approval of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, advertising foreign goods and services with domestic rivals is banned," Secretary of the Council of Public Culture Mansour Vaezi said, adding that the ban even extends to those Iranian "goods and services with a foreign name".
The law also covers all domestic goods and products manufactured through joint ventures between Iranian and foreign companies, Vaezi said, underlining that all such goods, products and services should bear an Iranian name in accordance with the law.
Meantime, the official mentioned that advertisement of all those foreign goods and services which do not have an Iranian rival is also subject to certain rules and restrictions.
"Advertisement of such foreign goods and services is allowed only in Persian and they should not be advertised on city and intercity highway billboards, pedestrian bridges and electronic boards," the official added.
The approval is deemed as a first move in support of domestic production as ordered by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on the turn of the Iranian new year.
In a televised address on the occasion of the Iranian New Year on March 20, Ayatollah Khamenei named the new Iranian year as the "Year of National Production, Supporting Iranian Labor and Capital", and once again underlined the importance of efforts to bolster the country's economic progress.
Ayatollah Khamenei said "Economic Jihad", which was the slogan of the previous year, is never-ending, adding that one important aspect of economic issues is "domestic production."
The Leader said at the time that if domestic production prospers, most of the enemies' efforts will undoubtedly fail.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the prosperity of national production is the key to resolving the problems of inflation and unemployment and will strengthen domestic economy.
In relevant remarks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a message on the occasion of the new Iranian year, stressed that support for national production is high on the agenda of the government this year.
"Like previous years, support for national production, exports, capital and labor is on the government agenda for this year," President Ahmadinejad stated at the time.
The president lauded the Iranian nation's progress in various economic, scientific, industrial, technological and political fields and vowed that Iran would continue on the same path at a higher pace in the new year.