Iranian Presidential Candidates Delineate Economic Views in Televised Debate
The Second televised debate of six Iranian presidential candidates is focused on the economy as each candidate explains his views and programs for improving the economic situation.
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"We must understand that our people's right is to live well, not just an ordinary life!"
The future president must guarantee that they can achieve this. Why should someone who works and reaches retirement age be poor? The share of labor in production should not decrease.
I believe that subsidies should not be given to consumers, but to producers. However, the method of allocation is very important. Wages should be adjusted according to the rate of inflation, either in cash or through the provision of essential goods.
Mostafa Pour Mohammadi: In the past two decades, the provision of appropriate services and a focus on justice were emphasized, but the extent of actions has not brought comfort to the underprivileged classes, and justice has not been observed. The targeting of subsidies coincided with sanctions; initially, it was not given attention.
The FATF issue arose, and the entire economy of the country is locked for exchanges. The subsidies are extensive but not targeted; we were inattentive to neutralizing the sanctions and also to the resilient economy. We must return to building the trust of the people.
Alireza Zakani: We are a wealthy country, but household subsidies in the areas of gasoline, gas, and electricity are not well distributed.
In the proposed "Welfare" package, all these issues have been considered. We have devised the "Golden Subsidy," which provides 20 grams of "gold" per year to each three-person household.
The more they save, the more they benefit. In this way, absolute poverty will be eradicated, and justice will be established.
Masoud Pezeshkian: Statistics indicate that there is a significant difference in gasoline consumption between the lower and upper deciles.
The population below the poverty line has increased, and the conditions in marginal and border areas are not good. Finding solutions to these problems requires a common language and setting aside differences.
More than 50% of bank loans are granted to residents of Tehran. The higher deciles should not receive more subsidies while inflation exerts pressure on the lower deciles.
Saeed Jalili: It is the government's duty to distribute resources fairly among the people. A family that owns three cars receives 12 times more subsidies than a family with no car, while 44% of families do not own a car.
If a family has an income between 12 to 16 million, they pay ten percent in taxes while also receiving subsidies. However, many with high incomes engage in tax evasion, which requires serious correction.
Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi: Poverty is undesirable, and Islam equates poverty with faithlessness; therefore, addressing the roots of poverty is essential. In the 1990s, we experienced negative economic growth, and the people's purchasing power decreased by 30%. Although 100 billion dollars were distributed, general welfare was not achieved.
We need serious reform; 30% of Iran's population has an income below 12 million and requires support. In this regard, we have two programs: returning people's assets to them and reforming the mechanisms for targeted subsidies, as the value of subsidies has decreased from 45 dollars to 11 dollars.
