TEHRAN- The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance stated that a significant portion of the current problems dates back to pre-war conditions, although today's economic issues cannot be oversimplified or analyzed with a "two-plus-two-equals-four" logic. He said: "For example, at one point they tried to prevent medicine from entering the country. We eventually found alternative routes, but naturally, during that period, medicine prices increased."

According to IRNA, Seyyed Ali Madani Zadeh emphasized that enemies are carrying out a terrorist operation against Iran, just as they previously conducted military terrorist operations and martyred our dear people and children. He added: "Now, in the economic and livelihood sphere, they are targeting patients, cancer patients, children, and even infant formula, and are trying to block the supply routes."

Stating that Iran supports its people domestically and will not allow these actions to succeed, he said: "However, one cannot deny that a terrorist operation is underway on the other side. The Islamic Republic of Iran is by no means seeking war, has not, and will not; but if attacked—whether militarily or economically—it will certainly confront."

He stated: "In the diplomatic arena, just as we endeavored during the war and afterward to secure the rights of the Iranian nation and were able to reclaim some of our rights through reaching agreements, we are moving with the same approach today. We stand firm in our positions and will vigorously defend the country's economy."

•          Controlling inflation, preserving employment, securing basic goods are country's top economic priority

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance emphasized that the government's economic team is tasked with managing the economic situation and improving the difficult conditions imposed on the people. He said: "In this regard, the government's first plan is to control inflation by halting the rising trend of prices caused by the current shock wave."

Madanizadeh, referring to the state of war (military war, siege, economic war), added: "In such an atmosphere, some information and tactics must not be disclosed, and some individuals in the media are exploiting the government's silence to undermine it."

Emphasizing that the government has not abandoned the economy and stands firmly behind the people and the economy, he added: "The main goal is to bring inflation down, with the hope that this will be achieved through divine will. Efforts have been made to prevent the negative impact of this crisis on trade and employment, and thus the Ministry of Economy is seeking to protect existing jobs by disbursing working capital facilities."

Madanizadeh stated that the government is trying to cover those who are laid off through unemployment insurance, and said: "The purpose of the commodity voucher (Kala Barq) is also to support people's livelihoods; the government's priority is people's livelihoods and preventing empty shelves so that people do not feel shortages, and therefore each minister has been tasked with taking necessary measures to address shortages in the market."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Minister of Economy emphasized that there is complete coordination among members of the government's economic team and that they are all moving in the same direction, saying: "There is truly no disagreement among the members of this team. We face minimal challenges in reaching a consensus on any issue, and those challenges are sometimes merely implementation-related."

He added: "The country's issues are being identified one by one and referred to the government's economic headquarters. In the meetings of the economic headquarters, with the presence of the President and his First Vice President, we reach conclusions."

Madanizadeh continued: "There is also complete coordination between the government's economic team and the heads of the parliamentary economic committees. Regular meetings are held in this regard; today we also had a meeting and reached full coordination on the country's economic issues. During this period, the Parliament's Economic Committee has provided full support to the government's economic team."

•          Modernizing power plants, public participation: Two drivers for compensating energy imbalances

The Minister of Economy said: "Developing combined-cycle power plants and modernizing existing plants are among the government's main plans to compensate for imbalances in the electricity industry. Simultaneously, by providing the economic groundwork for investment in power plant construction, efforts have been made to pursue the development of this industry through attracting capital and private sector participation, rather than relying on continuous state funding."

Madanizadeh added: "This approach has yielded significant results in the field of renewable energy, especially solar power plants. Instead of directly financing all resources, the government has created economic mechanisms and made investment attractive, thereby paving the way for new resources to enter this sector. Important measures have also been taken in the area of fuel supply for industries."

He continued: "On the other hand, public cooperation in energy consumption management has played a decisive role. While energy consumption in some sectors grew by 6 to 7 percent annually in previous years, this year not only has consumption growth stopped, but reductions have also been recorded in some areas—a result of public participation in conservation."

Stating that the government is pursuing a seven-axis plan to resolve accumulated imbalances in various economic and energy sectors, he added: "Some of these imbalances have roots in past years, and some have been exacerbated by recent damages."

Madanizadeh stated: "Now, just as the people have cooperated in energy consumption management, they are expected to play a role in investment and economic reconstruction so that, relying on domestic capacities, the process of compensating shortages and strengthening economic infrastructure can accelerate."

•          A trade facilitation and production barrier removal package is awaiting approval

The Minister of Economy also said: "The government's approach is to turn threats and unfavorable conditions into opportunities for economic reform and strengthening. Wherever a weakness or bottleneck has been identified, that very point has been placed at the center of reform programs."

Madanizadeh added: "One of the most important areas of reform is facilitating licensing, reducing production barriers, and streamlining trade. In this regard, a series of measures have been taken with the cooperation of the government's economic bodies, the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, the Plan and Budget Organization, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, and especially the Trade Development Organization."

He continued: "The trade facilitation and production barrier removal package has passed the expert review and pre-approval stages before being submitted to the Cabinet. With the government's final approval, it can create a major transformation in the country's trade and the operation of production enterprises."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance stated that obstructive regulations have been identified and set aside during the war period, which facilitated affairs. He said: "These cases were presented to the First Vice President, and he said: 'If these regulations could solve problems and remove production barriers during wartime, why shouldn't they be made permanent?' Accordingly, he instructed the government team to develop a plan to make these measures permanent."

Madanizadeh also noted that in the deregulation process, a heavy expert review and coordination among various bodies has been carried out, and this matter is before the government for approval. He said: "Very good measures have also been taken in the area of removing investment barriers, which will be unveiled next week in the presence of the President."

The Minister of Economy explained: "Very interesting measures have been taken by the Investment Organization to remove production barriers and facilitate investment. One of the important actions taken during this period was converting the 'Foreign Investment Organization' into the 'Iran Investment Organization'—an organization that, as the sole authority in the investment field, is tasked with identifying investment barriers in the country and taking action to remove them."

He recalled: "There are many regulations in the country that, as obstacles, have made the investment process difficult and slow. These barriers have been identified and planning for their removal is underway."

•          We fully understand people's economic situation and appreciate their patience and dignity

The Minister of Economy said: "We understand the people's situation and know the hardships they are enduring. We are grateful that the people are patient; they have shown that they accept economic hardship but will not tolerate humiliation. We are doing our utmost to make people's lives easier in these terrorist economic conditions and to minimize its harmful effects, while also ensuring that [the enemy] regrets its actions."

Madanizadeh, referring to public cooperation in conservation, called for participation in investment for the country's economic renewal and stated: "We need the help of elites to advise us on what should be done in the current economic situation. At the Ministry of Economy, we continuously use the opinions of economists, economic activists, members of the Chamber of Commerce, and tradespeople. Some ideas remain just ideas and cannot be operationalized, so elites must present implementable plans. We will make 100 percent use of such ideas."

Emphasizing that they are not bound by any conventional economic thinking in the world, he added: "Let the elites help us better manage the country's financial and trade arteries. We ask economic activists to come on board and not allow sanctions and pressures to succeed; help us attract resources and compensate for the resource shortages created by economic pressure."

The Minister of Economy further stated that the economy operates within a socio-political context, and the more stable and secure this context is, the more we can move toward growth and economic stability. He said: "The more external pressure and fluctuation exerted on this container, naturally these fluctuations will transfer to its contents. The government's economic team is striving day and night so that, despite the pressure and fluctuations on this container, the liquid inside is less damaged."

Madanizadeh emphasized: "The reality is that we cannot promise a specific number or create expectations, but I give my word that the government's full effort will be focused on planning to control inflation in the first instance. We will not allow hyperinflation to occur, and we will then work to bring inflation down."

Stating that "our monetary, forex, and banking plans are based on controlling inflation," he recalled: "The second priority of the economic team is to support employment, and then to assist in the economic renewal of the country."

MA