Farshad Momeni Criticizes Budget Bill: A Sign of Contradiction to Pezeshkian's Promises

An economist in Iran stated that contrary to Masoud Pezeshkian's promotional claims about providing for the livelihoods of the poor and ensuring educational and health justice, the government has demanded the approval of 'issues contrary to these' from the parliament in the budget bill for the coming year. According to the Jamaran website on Sunday, December 2, Farshad Momeni, an economics professor at Allameh Tabatabai University, addressed Pezeshkian, saying, 'You have put your neck on the line for the livelihood of the poor,' but 'when you reduced three billion dollars from the currency related to the import of essential goods compared to 1403 and increased the price of that currency, additional pressure emerges to exacerbate the nutrition crisis in the country.' He compared Pezeshkian to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in terms of populism, referring to his campaign slogans before the Islamic Republic presidential elections regarding establishing educational and health justice, adding, 'Ahmadinejad also claimed he wanted to establish justice.' This critical economist attributed the 'loss of trust from the nation' as a cause for the failure of governments, stating that this occurs through 'choosing wrong policies' and 'selecting incorrect strategic allies,' and in the Islamic Republic, 'these two errors have tragically broken the back of Iran's economy and society' over more than 'three decades.' He emphasized that currently, 'predatory governance' rather than 'market-oriented policies' prevails in the country, stating, 'The selection of low-quality options and the elevation of incompetence have ruined this country, and low-quality laws and regulations have broken the back of Iran.'