Coll 30/9(2) 'Admin. Reports of the Persian Gulf - 1945 -' [‎324r] (647/1148)

SECTION 7.
FOOD SUPPLIES .
(a) The issue of ration sugar, tea and matches was
announced in February 1942, but this only continued for a xew
months, although large stocks of tea and sugar (tne latter, at
the close of the year, in the nature of 4,000 tons) were held
in the Customs. It was quite obvious that influential
dealers were bribing the Government authorities to withhold
distribution, in order that their own stocks of these
commodities might be sold in the open market. In December
questionnaire papers for a rationing scheme were distributed in
the town and new coupons were issued. But their utilization
was at the end of the year still held up pending instructions-
from Shiraz.
In July the Economics Department began to sell rice to
the townspeople at a cheap rate; but this was only done for one
month. A consignment of rice was sent to Dashti and Tangistan;
but was mostly misappropriated.
(b) Apart from world causes, the grave rise in the cost of
living during the year under review may be put down to (a) an
increase in the population of Bushire; (b) hoarding of goods
by the merchants and (c) insufficiency of the Municipality’s
control over the bazaar prices. The Shiraz Municipality were
also partly responsible through their refusal to allow any kind
of cereals or fruit to be exported from Shiraz. The Governor
has appointed a municipal inspector for the market, and has
instituted a committee to fix the prices of foodstuffs. The
general increase in the price of staple foodstuffs has been
about 400$ since 1936.
(c) The Shabankareh irrigation project . Owing to lack of
materials, especially cement, little progress was made during
the year with the construction work required to complete the
irrigation project at Shabankareh, and only a quarter of the
/ area