A growing number of shops stop accepting Iran's food-voucher scheme; sellers say they have gone about 25 days without payment

Ahmad Fatemi, MP for Babol and a member of the social committee of Iran's parliament, said on Monday, 27 July 2026 (5 Mordad 1405), in an interview with ISNA that the suspension of the kalabarg food-voucher scheme by some retailers is "a red line for parliament" and that goods covered by the scheme must be available to the public in every shop. He said stores that have committed to the scheme have no right to stop sales unilaterally, and called on regulatory and supervisory bodies to monitor retailers' conduct and act against those in breach.

Fatemi also said the government is obliged to meet its commitments to the shops on time, noting that the voucher scheme is a law passed by parliament and that the necessary funding has been provided for. He said the purpose of the scheme is to make basic goods available at approved prices.

According to field checks reported in the story, the number of shops that have stopped accepting the vouchers has risen. Sellers say that after about 25 days they still have not been paid for goods already sold, while the Ministry of Welfare attributes part of the delay to mismatched banking information and has also tied payments to the timing of incoming funds.