The President Rohani said in his first live TV report to the people that they are the best judges on his government’s performance.
He added that the country is going through and inflationary recession, explaining, That is because both the country’s Central Bank and the Statistics Center have announced that the country’s growth rate was negative last year.”
He added, “The Statistics Center has announced a minus 5.4% rate and the Central Bank, for the first six months, regardless of oil, minus 2.2 percent, which would of course rise if oil is included.”
The president said it seems like the Statistics Center and the Central Bank reports are close to each other, reiterating, The point to point inflation rate is 44% and the annual inflation rate by last (Iranian) year’s end (March 20, 2013) was 39%; these statistical figures show that the country is in a peculiar condition in terms of inflation and recession.”
Rohani said, “When the country’s (economic) conditions are in inflationary recession status the job is very tough, because if there were only recession we could adopt a contractive policy to fight it, while when the country has merely entangled with inflation, expansionist policies, but when these two are simultaneous dealing with them is tough.”
He added, “Of course this does not mean that the government is pessimist about the future and does not have strategies, but that we are studying the various chapters and seeking long- and short-term strategies.”
The president announced that the government has made moves regarding the budget and the subsidies and is pursuing the matter, adding, “The government has planned for its emergency moves, a part of which I will elaborate for the people.”
Regarding the country’s budget, the president said, “In the course of the past 10 years the budget has increased from 250,000 billion rials to 2,100,000 billion, which is multiplied eight-fold, while the goods prices have increased five-fold in this period, and this means the exceeding of the government expenditures compared to the goods’ and commodities prices.”
He added, “This also means that the government has adopted measures for contracting the budget which have automatically faced obstacles.”
The president said that in the past with this figure, it was impossible to collect eight-fold taxes from the people, and therefore the (government’s) main dependence was on oil incomes, adding, “When the oil incomes are lowered we either have to increase the incomes, which is very difficult to do under the current conditions, or we need to decrease the services in various education, health, defense and security fields, which is also impossible.”
President Hassan Rohani said in his TV report to the people, “Revising the current year’s 2,110,000 billion rial budget and shrinking it to 1,500,000 billion rials, means a 600,000 billion rial budget decrease.
President Rohani added, “By revising the 1392 (Iranian year) budget, the real figure of the budget will be announced for the people, because the government tells the truth, and as a first step it is observing transparency in budget’s case.”
Pointing out that the country is under inflationary recession conditions, he reiterated, “Under the conditions of inflationary recession, long term and short term economic plans for the problems have been devised to resolve the country’s economic problems, while the Economy Ministry and the government’s Economic Affairs Headquarters have been commissioned to present the government’s midterm and short term plans for 1393 (Iranian year) budget.”
The president stressed, “All the same we need the people’s support, as without the people’s participation the existing problems cannot be resolved.”
He said that the government’s Economic Affairs Headquarters, as it was announced to the people, was commissioned at the 1st session of the cabinet to prepare a plan and present it to the government within 15 days to contribute to economic blossoming in the short term and that plan was surveyed at this week’s Sunday session of the cabinet.
After a short elaboration about the articles of the plan, the president said that its goals include increasing production, creating jobs, decreasing administrative bureaucracy, and encountering the ‘internal sanctions’ so that the importers and the manufacturers would be able continue their economic activities at ease.
Rohani reiterated that during the course of the past few years the equation between dollar and the Iranian rial was tripled from 10,000 to 30.000, and therefore, the manufacturers and the importers, too, have been needing a tree-fold liquidity, thus facing a great obstacle for opening L/Cs at the banks, and leading to problems for the manufacturers.
He spoke about the plans for solving those problems, arguing, “The problems for the producers lead to problems for the consumers, and therefore a blossoming business also decreased the costs for the consumers.”
The president informed that many of the Customs Organization’s unnecessary procedures have been eliminated so as to provide for economic blossoming in the country, and to provide for profitable commercial activities and trade.
President Rohani said that the general points of the law for a blossoming economy have been ratified at the Parliament, and its details are under survey there, expressing hope that the law would really work well.
The head of the country’s executive power said that the government would provide the entire requirements of the private sector to see it blossoming, so that production would accelerate.
President Hassan Rohani said in his TV report to the people, “Revising the current year’s 2,110,000 billion rial budget and shrinking it to 1,500,000 billion rials, means a 600,000 billion rial budget decrease.
President Rohani added, “By revising the 1392 (Iranian year) budget, the real figure of the budget will be announced for the people, because the government tells the truth, and as a first step it is observing transparency in budget’s case.”
Pointing out that the country is under inflationary recession conditions, he reiterated, “Under the conditions of inflationary recession, long term and short term economic plans for the problems have been devised to resolve the country’s economic problems, while the Economy Ministry and the government’s Economic Affairs Headquarters have been commissioned to present the government’s midterm and short term plans for 1393 (Iranian year) budget.”
The president stressed, “All the same we need the people’s support, as without the people’s participation the existing problems cannot be resolved.”
He said that the government’s Economic Affairs Headquarters, as it was announced to the people, was commissioned at the 1st session of the cabinet to prepare a plan and present it to the government within 15 days to contribute to economic blossoming in the short term and that plan was surveyed at this week’s Sunday session of the cabinet.
After a short elaboration about the articles of the plan, the president said that its goals include increasing production, creating jobs, decreasing administrative bureaucracy, and encountering the ‘internal sanctions’ so that the importers and the manufacturers would be able continue their economic activities at ease.
Rohani reiterated that during the course of the past few years the equation between dollar and the Iranian rial was tripled from 10,000 to 30.000, and therefore, the manufacturers and the importers, too, have been needing a tree-fold liquidity, thus facing a great obstacle for opening L/Cs at the banks, and leading to problems for the manufacturers.
He spoke about the plans for solving those problems, arguing, “The problems for the producers lead to problems for the consumers, and therefore a blossoming business also decreased the costs for the consumers.”
The president informed that many of the Customs Organization’s unnecessary procedures have been eliminated so as to provide for economic blossoming in the country, and to provide for profitable commercial activities and trade.
President Rohani said that the general points of the law for a blossoming economy have been ratified at the Parliament, and its details are under survey there, expressing hope that the law would really work well.
The head of the country’s executive power said that the government would provide the entire requirements of the private sector to see it blossoming, so that production would accelerate.
** Pathology of 1st phase of goal-orientation of subsidies, for implementing its 2nd phase
The president said that paying the cash subsidies will continue till the end of the current (Iranian) year (1392- ending on March 20th, 2014), adding, “In order to implement its 2nd phase we are studying the pathology of the initial phase.”
Rohani said that the next phase of the goal orientation of subsidies plan must start, but it has been delayed for an appropriate time.
** South Pars gas field’s development plan
Regarding petroleum, President Rohani said we are faced with two matters of high urgency today, the first of which is gas production, whose production is below the demand, which is why many of the power plants that should have run on gas are functioning on oil-gas, or torch oil.
Regarding the development projects of South Pars gas field he said, “The government tried to accelerated the [projects, particularly those of the South Pars, as a priority, and phases 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of South Pars would become operational within the next couple of months.”
Rohani said that the oil minister has promised to increase gas production by the year-end to 30 million cubic meters per day.
He added that the capacity of oil production, too, has decreased and the government intends to increase it up to 4 million bpd in the short term, because production capacity is of great significances for the country from the strategic point of the view.
President Rohani also demanded that the Persian Gulf Star Refinery, too, would become operational rather sooner than schedule, saying that otherwise the country would have to import gasoline.
** Foreign policy
Rohani added, “In our foreign policy our approach and logic might differ somehow, and as the Supreme Leader said, crafty lenience, elasticity, and artistic and heroic maneuvers, too, are both acceptable for his eminence and desirable for him.”
** First foreign trip
President Rohani said that he has two major foreign visits ahead, reiterating, “My first foreign trip would be for attending the Shanghai Summit meeting, in Kyrgyzstan, for which I would depart on Thursday.”
He said that there would be two important meeting with the presidents of Russia and China in that visit.
President Rohani stressed the great significance of relations with big neighbor, Russia, with which we have comprehensive cooperation, adding, “We intend to further expand our relations with that government and this visit would be a first step in that regard.”
He also attached great importance to Iran’s relations with China, with which Iran also has broad comprehensive cooperation, informing that the Chinese are ready for beginning investments in certain fields.
** Announcing the government’s stands at the UN annual meeting/ Readiness for holding serious talks with world
The president said that his presence at the annual UN General Assembly meeting is based on an invitation by the UN secretary general, saying, “My address at that gathering and announcing the new government’s stands are important.”
Rohani said that he would also give an address at the New York Disarmament Conference and one at the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), thus giving three important addresses in New York, in addition to meetings with the Iranians, and particularly with the political and cultural elites there.
**No one can deprive the Iranian nation of its absolute rights
Speaking about the framework of the country’s upcoming nuclear talks, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s entire rights in accordance with the nuclear-NPT need to be observed., in accordance with the international laws.
He stressed that Iran would observe its rights in the framework of the international laws, under the supervision of the IAEA, and merely for peaceful purposes.
** Nuclear issue could be resolved in not so far a future
The president said that on the one hand some countries have worries; those worries can be eliminated and in this respect we are after mutual trust and respect, as well as equal rights and in the framework of the international regulations.
Rohani reiterated, “If the other side would have a strong will, the nuclear issue would be resolvable in not a very remote future.”
** Iran ready for a win-win game
Asked about the claimed new western proposals and whether his is optimistic about them, he said, ‘I have never been a pessimist.”
Rohani reiterated, “The new government’s conditions dictate being optimist, because we have sufficient will, sufficient strategy, and strong logic, and if on the other side, too, would have resolute will the issue will be finalized.”
He added that the nuclear issue must end win-win style, as one side’s loss is meaningless, as the loser side will no longer tolerate and the game would be abrupt.
The head of the Executive Force said that we can have a win-win game and are ready for such a game.
**Sectarian strife and terrorism are region’s two major problems
He said that both the sectarian strife and the terrorism malice, which are the region’s greatest problems today are created by the enemies, and they would gradually ne spread in many countries in the region
**We hope there would be no war in Syria
He stressed the significance of Syria as a frontline country in which ethnic strife and terrorism have led to a civil war, and the Americans’ pretext of using chemical weapons.
We condemn the use of chemical weapons under any conditions definitely but the Americans and their allies intended to launch a military intervention on that pretext.
