Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, criticized the lack of competition in Iran's economy on Tuesday, February 17, stating that "the people are not present in our economy." Speaking at the National Resistance Economy Congress, he added, "When there is no competition in the country, unemployment is created. The unemployment rate was not low even before the sanctions. Today, 42% of university graduates are unemployed. These are entrepreneurs." The Speaker emphasized, "Thus, a fundamental problem in our economy is that it is not an economy in which the people participate. Until there is competition, productivity will not increase." These remarks by Larijani come shortly after the release of a new report by the Heritage Foundation, indicating that Iran has one of the most closed economies in the world. The educational and research foundation's latest report, related to 2015, states that Iran ranks 171st in terms of economic freedom. The tables in this report show that Iran is only 7 ranks away from the most closed economy in the world, North Korea. The Speaker continued on Tuesday, saying, "When we say economic independence, our approach is not to close the country's doors and produce everything domestically." Ali Larijani added, "We have suffered damages from this perspective, meaning we have not been able to establish the correct concept of economic independence in the country." He stated, "Another important point to consider is that we manage the country expensively," and continued, "A lot of costs are incurred, but productivity is not at the same level." Larijani referred to Iran's budget, saying, "In the total budget of the country, there is a 180 trillion budget for development and current expenses, of which 150 trillion is current and 30 trillion is developmental. With this amount, we cannot create prosperity." He also emphasized, "We were supposed to reduce the size of the government, but today we see the opposite; thus, hiring in the public sector is the worst thing. The government must shrink and delegate tasks."
Ali Larijani: The People Are Not Present in Our Economy
Ali Larijani, the Speaker of Iran's Parliament, criticized the lack of public participation in the economy and high unemployment rates among university graduates. He highlighted the need for competition to improve productivity and pointed out the inefficiencies in government spending. This reflects ongoing economic challenges in Iran amid international sanctions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Ali Larijani criticized the lack of competition and public participation in Iran's economy, highlighting high unemployment rates among university graduates. He called for reforms to improve productivity and reduce government inefficiencies.
- 42% of university graduates in Iran are unemployed.
- Iran ranks 171st in economic freedom, just above North Korea.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's economy has been struggling due to a combination of international sanctions, mismanagement, and a lack of competition. This has led to high unemployment rates, particularly among educated youth.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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