TEHRAN –President Ebrahim Raisi announced the dismissal of more than a dozen managers in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan after they failed to do their job.

The announcement was made at a press conference Raisi held at the end of his two-day visit to the province. 

Referring to the dismissal of 15 managers of Khuzestan province due to poor performance, he said, “If a manager is not capable of doing the job, we ourselves are the most sensitive and replace ineffective managers, and we consider this not a weakness but a strength of the government.”

Ayatollah Raisi stated that today attention to the efficiency of the institutions and the fight against corruption is the concern of all the government bodies, according to a readout by the official website of the Iranian presidency.

In response to a reporter's question about the replacement of managers, he emphasized, “The government is constantly evaluating the performance of the managers of the institutions, and if it is confirmed in a detailed evaluation that a manager has not been successful, we will not hesitate to replace him.”

Raisi also underlined the need to pay heed to the local talent in selecting managers, “In recruiting human resources, experts and managers, preference is given to local workforces, unless it is necessary to select a more capable manager from outside the region.”

Raisi called on the media to help monitor the implementation of the government's provincial ratifications and said, “In addition to monitoring the government's resolutions and decisions, the results of which are reflected in people's lives, the media should provide compassionate criticism of the performance of a manager or an organization.”

Raisi visited Khuzestan Province on Thursday morning as part of his second round of provincial trips.

Upon his arrival in the border province, President Raisi told reporters that the young people of Khuzestan should not suffer from unemployment. “The government is looking to solve the problems of the province by considering the many facilities and capacities of Khuzestan,” he said, according to the official website of the Iranian presidency. 

In Khuzestan, the president visited several cities such as Dezful, Andimeshk, Ahwaz, Karun, and Shadegan. He also visited several projects in the oil-rich province. 

Raisi delivered a speech before a group of Ahwazi people on Thursday afternoon. “Iran is indebted to Khuzestan, and today the whole country, especially we the officials, must pay our respects to this province and its loyal and resistant people,” he said.

During the press conference, Ayatollah Raisi referred to employment and reducing unemployment as one of the most important demands of the people of Khuzestan and said, “The government is trying to take advantage of the province's capacities and pay attention to the agricultural and tourism economy, as well as strengthening trade relations with Arab countries, which have increased to 5 times in this government.”

Referring to the projects inaugurated during the two-day visit of the Popular Administration to Khuzestan, Ayatollah Raisi said, “Great work has been done in the field of electricity, and with the projects inaugurated, more than 300 megawatts of electricity entered the national grid, which will be increased to 500 megawatts in the next step.”