According to the “Tehran Times”, Iran’s Industries and Mines Minister deputy, Mohammad Basiri, announced that the cement industry, through the production of 32.65Mt of cement, had kept 99 per cent of its commitment in 2005. Basiri went on to say that 20-year-old factories yet again produced more than 90 per cent of their capacities last year. This official, not rejecting cement smuggling, said that this was because of the fact that there was no obvious difference between the price of Iran’s cement and that of neighboring countries.