Masoud Pezeshkian, a representative from Tabriz in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, rejected the government's prediction regarding the seventh development plan, stating that the 8% economic growth mentioned in the bill is not feasible. He added that there is no scientific framework in the generalities of the plan. The 8% economic growth has been projected for Iran, while the economic growth in Iran during the 2010s has been around one or close to zero, and in recent quarters, Iran's economic growth has barely reached 3%. The 'Seventh Development Plan' bill was made public in May this year, which outlines goals such as '8% economic growth', '3.9% employment growth' annually, equivalent to one million jobs, alongside achieving '9.5% inflation' by the end of the program's implementation. The Islamic Consultative Assembly approved the 'generalities' of the 'Seventh Development Plan' bill in a session on Tuesday, October 3. Hojjatollah Hadi Pour, the auditor general of planning and development at the country's Court of Audit, stated in November 2021 that more than 65% of the goals of the sixth five-year development plan of the Islamic Republic, which was extended for seven years, have not been achieved. Due to lack of transparency and the absence of independent institutions in the economic system of the Islamic Republic, official statistics are always met with skepticism from independent experts. It is worth noting that the 'official' figures announced by the institutions of the Islamic Republic cannot be verified by independent entities. After a 'non-public' session in the morning, the Assembly voted positively on the 'generalities' of the 'Seventh Development Plan' bill. The review of the seventh plan begins; media mobilization of the Assembly and the government under the 'code name' of development. Criticism of the 20,000 'Hemmati' regarding the 'Seventh Plan'; the possibility of the bill returning to the Joint Commission. The consequences of a command economy; a member of parliament stated that 'inflation' has 'almost' halted bank investments.
A Member of Parliament Rejects Government's Prediction; 8% Economic Growth is Not Possible
Masoud Pezeshkian, an Iranian MP, has dismissed the government's forecast of 8% economic growth as unrealistic, citing historical growth rates and lack of scientific backing in the development plan. The Assembly has approved the generalities of the seventh development plan, despite significant skepticism about the government's economic statistics. This situation highlights ongoing concerns about economic management and transparency in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the Iranian government's prediction of 8% economic growth, calling it unrealistic given historical data and lack of scientific basis. The Islamic Consultative Assembly approved the generalities of the Seventh Development Plan despite skepticism about the government's economic statistics.
- The projected economic growth rate of 8% is significantly higher than the actual growth rates experienced in recent years.
- Previous development plans have failed to meet over 65% of their goals, raising doubts about the current plan's feasibility.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has faced economic challenges for years, including sanctions and mismanagement, leading to low growth rates and high inflation. The government's development plans often lack transparency and are met with skepticism.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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