Iranians Highly Skeptical Of President’s Economic Performance
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, facing serious economic challenges, gave his 6th interview in 10 months to the state television Saturday evening, June 25.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, facing serious economic challenges, gave his 6th interview in 10 months to the state television Saturday evening, June 25.
During the interview, Raisi defended his government's problematic economic performance and blamed the previous government and "conspiracies hatched by the enemies," for the country's mounting problems.
According to the official news agency, IRNA, Raisi said that his government has repaid the previous government's 290 trillion rial (around $1.2 billion) debt to the banks within only 20 days after he took office. He added that very little fund in foreign currency was left at the treasury by the end of the previous government's term of office. He also claimed that the "economic reform" he is pursuing should have been implemented under the government of President Hassan Rouhani.
Meanwhile, he blamed foreign conspiracies and the previous government's performance for the financial crisis Iranians are facing today.
One news website commented that the interview was not really an interview. It was a one-sided campaign speech, and the interviewer acted like an employee, referring to the state televsion fully at the service of the government.
In an interview with Nameh News website, Iranian economic analyst Albert Boghosian said Raisi's remarks on the state TV were not convincing. Boghosian added that Raisi's promise about tackling Iran's rising inflation within a short period of time was unrealistic, and that the people were right not to believe him.
He said it was not clear if the President meant that prices would come down after a while, or as is more likely, he meant that there will be no further increases.
Raisi’s government abolished food import subsidies in early May that led to an immediate jump in prices. The point-to-point inflation rate for May-June jumped 55 percent to the same period in 2021. The government called its decision “economic surgery.”
Boghosian added that Iranians were not prepared for Raisi's 'economic surgery’ and likened the resident's move to building a house while ignoring that the operation will lead to the collapse of neighboring buildings. The economist said ironically that Raisi has performed the surgery but there is no one around to take care of the patient's recovery.
He warned that Iran is in a situation that even stabilizing the prices are not acceptable and there should be a reduction in inflation. "People cannot wait…hoping that prices will hopefully come down in six months," he said.
In another development, moderate-conservative news website Khabar Online asked its readers whether Raisi's remarks were convincing. Most of the comments sent to the website were negative. One reader said: "It was disappointing. He did not say anything new." Another reader wrote: "Raisi's comments about the banking system, inflation, prices, and housing did not make sense." Still, a third reader commented that "The honorable president did not accept responsibility for his cabinet's performance and blamed the previous government and sinister elements. Generally, he did not convince anyone."
Economic journalist Ebrahim Alizade wrote in series of tweets on Sunday: "Why did Raisi took part in this interview? Was he trying to calm the people? He kept promising that the situation is going to get better but did not talk about the parliament's plans to further increase prices."
In the meantime, reports from the Iranian parliament (Majles) say the process has been completed for the impeachment of Industry Minister Reza Fatemi Amin while motions have been also tabled to impeach the ministers of Agriculture, Interior, and Roads and Housing.
He added that during the past year out of 319 complaints, 39 cases have led to arrests and indictments of which, 20 media outlets or journalists have been convicted of various offenses and 19 have been cleared of the charges.
He added that most of the charges included publishing lies, libel and insult and in most cases a settlement has been reached through payment of fines.
Pressures on the press have been on the rise during the past months. Maryam Shokrani, a Shargh daily journalist, wrote in a tweet on June 25 that these include fabrication of cases against journalists in a systematic way. Sher wrote in another tweet the previous day that the Oil Ministry in Iran forced her to pull a story about an Iran vessel seized in international waters.
Developments indicating more pressures on the media and journalists, coincided with a meeting by journalists on Thursday where they discussed "the national media document," which highlights the need for regulating media activities and relations between the government and the media.
According to the reformist Shargh, the meeting was called by board of directors of the Tehran Province Press Association which operates as a proxy for the Journalists and Writers Trade Union, banned for nearly a decade now. The association's board members, as well as several journalists, editors, academics and cultural figures took part in the meeting.
Board chairman Abbas Abdi, a reformist journalist said that the national media document includes suggestions by the association to improve the situation of the media. He added that by offering this collection of suggestions, the association wishes to start a dialogue between with the government.
Abdi said: "Any change in Iran should start from the media. And by the word media, I mean the official media rather than unofficial [social] media." Abdi added that four group of journalists representing the print media, radio and television, social media, and news agencies have worked on the document which generally explains the status quo and offers a prospect for the future.
Academic Mehdi Mohsenian Rad said newspaper readership is very small in Iran, judging by limited circulation. He further explained that the reason for this problem is that "There is political control on the press that aims to promote the official values of the government."
Mohsenian added that the Iranian government does not recognize the role of the media as a body that monitors the behavior of various actors in society.
Economist Kamal Athari said that the problem of the media starts from the government's approach to social and economic development. In the Iranian press everything is about power rather than progress and this has been the case since the 1990s.
Ali Mirzakhani, who has been the managing editor of the economic daily Donyaye Eqtesad, confirmed Mohsenian's view about the prevailing ideological approach to media content in Iran. Nonetheless, he argued that government control over the media starts from the requirement of receiving a license to start a media venture. Anyone who cannot be trusted to follow the ideological and political boundaries of the Islamic Republic cannot receive a license to publish.
Mirzakhani also mentioned the role of cash subsidies paid by the government to the press as a tool for controlling the media. This attracts publishers who have the right connections, but no professional interest, and wish to work with journalists whose main characteristic is obedience rather than expertise, said journalist Mojgan Jamshidi.