A News Agency's Account of '400 Million Toman Overtime' in the Teachers' Savings Fund

The Iranian Labor News Agency reported on the lack of transparency in the operations of the Teachers' Savings Fund, stating that despite the high sensitivity of teachers in the country regarding this fund and its performance, one manager received over 400 million tomans in overtime pay in a year. ILNA, affiliated with the Workers' House, wrote: 'A manager of the Teachers' Savings Fund receives more than 37 million tomans in overtime each month while the salaries of official teachers in the country are below the poverty line.' The report noted: 'The release of the payslip of Hamid Baqir Nejad, the Deputy for Planning and Resource Development of the Teachers' Savings Fund, in cyberspace revealed that this manager received 412 million tomans for overtime over 11 months.' The Teachers' Savings Fund has been a subject of news in recent years, as on May 6, 2020, Jabbar Koochik Nejad, the head of the investigation committee into the Teachers' Savings Fund, reported the involvement of over 20 suspects, including several 'children of influential figures,' in the 'embezzlement' case of the Teachers' Savings Fund. ILNA also referred to the history of financial embezzlement in the Teachers' Savings Fund in the mid-2010s, stating that 'initially, corruption in this fund was named as 8 trillion tomans.' The embezzlement figure was later announced as 15 trillion tomans, but ultimately, the prosecutor's representative in court stated that the corruption amount in the case of the Teachers' Savings Fund and Bank Sarmayeh was 14 trillion tomans. Hamid Baqir Nejad; the Deputy for Planning and Resource Development of the Teachers' Savings Fund was dismissed from his position on September 9 after the release of his 'astronomical salary' payslip for overtime. Hamid Baqir Nejad had been a board member and Deputy for Financial and Human Capital since December 2021 and Deputy for Planning and Development of the Teachers' Savings Fund since February 2023. Systematic corruption in the structures of the Islamic Republic, including in supervisory institutions, alongside the lack of independent civil institutions and media, are factors contributing to the deep-rooted corruption and embezzlement in the Iranian government, which is evident in all areas. Pension funds and the Teachers' Savings Fund are just a few examples of financial institutions that should serve as a backbone for a wide range of society, but in practice, they have become places for corruption networks to exploit and, by abusing the political influence of their allies, 'destroy' the interests and resources of retirees and educators. News of embezzlement in funds or astronomical salaries of fund managers is released while we witness daily protests by retirees or educators in small and large cities demanding the realization of their minimum demands.