Ahmadinejad floats solutions to economic woes

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raised four strategies to solve the country’s economic ills, highlighting bids which cut Iran’s dependence on oil incomes all at once.
The Iranian president appeared before parliament on Wednesday and discussed the economic woes the country is currently facing and reviewed the current status quo when it comes to problems and policies, Mehr News Agency reported.

On the floor, the president raised four solutions to help the country recover from the economic ills and stressed, among others, efforts which aim to cut Iran’s dependence on oil incomes.

As for sanctions, he said that we can deal with them in three ways, adding that the first calls for maintaining the current state of affairs; the enemy launches attacks with the country blocking its way and finding new paths despite the growing pressures.

The second approves of giving up to enemy demands, but that the Iranian nation, the Islamic establishment, parliament, and cabinet find it not respectful to pick this way, he said.

The president said the third approach asks for structural transformation, tapping into indigenous potential, overcoming the sanctions and disappointing the enemy.

He further said that the first approach would be to the detriment of Iran in the middle run since the one who attacks first causes harms and we need to do something to offset the ill-effects of the sustained damage.

As for the third approach, he said that we can turn the enemy’s plots and threats into opportunities which could prove constructive economically, adding this calls on us to work together cooperatively.

To choose the third approach, he said, we need to identify the country’s weak points first, adding the enemy has focused all its schemes on Iran’s four main weak points.

Ahmadinejad continued that the country’s wealth and capital, including human resources, have been for years brought from all areas of the country to the central parts with the wealth going from the have-not people to the haves. He added this is not acceptable in an Islamic and justice-based country.

“The Iranian economy is run by few people and this is not good. Economic activities and growth mainly depend on the income from oil. Those who are moneyed collect more and the rest of people have been marginalized in the economic affairs,” he said.

The president said that efforts such as targeted subsidies, distribution of justice stock, Mehr Housing project and other developmental works in the deprived areas have been made to somehow remove the monopolization of the economy.

He also said that a government spending package which is based on the country’s oil revenues is another weak point, adding this sparks a rise in inflation.

He then said that the country needs economic models based on its own indigenous resources and should let go of the adopted models of capitalism or socialism.

Ahmadinejad then put forward his solutions and said that the wealth and capital should be dedicated to all parts of the country, adding that the problems would remain unsolved as long as the wealth is consumed only in the central parts.

Iran needs to reduce speculations and false economic activities, and we have to make planning for the participation of all people in the country in the constructive economic activities.

The president said that the country should make maximum use of its indigenous resources, adding Iran is a rich country which could witness a sustainable economic growth if we rely on our resources only.

And finally we need to have a budget which is collected of sources other than oil, he said, adding that it would apply pressures at first but we can use the country’s lands, forests and mines instead and avoid a tight budget in the country (which has decided not to have a one-product economy).

The president then addressed the MPs and said that these are solutions of the government, adding the cabinet’s list is not closed and that you can add your own proposals, if any, for the better administration of the economic affairs without oil.