One of the tasks of development planners is to consider the country’s resources and assets, and suggest the best way to use them for achieving the plan’s goals.
Natural resources, production capacities and provincial means, including production, trade and transportation, should be taken into account and based on them, a path for the country’s progress must be charted in the development plan. Ignoring any of these factors will mark a serious flaw, Nasser Zakeri, an economist, opened an article for the Persian daily Shargh with these statements. A translation of the text follows:
Civil and non-governmental organizations are one of the most important and valuable agencies that help countries achieve comprehensive growth and development. Undoubtedly, any society determined to tread the path of change and comprehensive growth should use their support to achieve national development goals.
Many social, economic and cultural developments that the government was supposed to create by spending a great deal of money can be achieved by non-governmental organizations by mobilizing all public resources at the lowest price and the highest degree of efficiency.
Religious thoughts consider the activities of non-governmental organizations as a clear example of “caring for the affairs of Muslims”, as they pursue the objectives of streamlining the society, improving social and economic conditions, and easing living conditions for citizens.
NGOs and Anti-Corruption Drive
Civil anti-corruption bodies are a subset of non-governmental organizations.
On the one hand, corruption causes serious and harmful social ills that also spawn other anomalies. With the spread of corruption, we should expect other types of injustices. On the other hand, global experience shows that the fight against corruption has very little chance of winning in the powerful presence of NGOs.
Even if the government and state institutions have a serious determination to fight corruption, they are part of the problem.
Iranians who are fighting against corruption are facing countless challenges. Although effective steps have been taken in the drive against corruption in the past years and those in charge have constantly spoken of legal shortcomings, there are many unresolved issues.
Non-governmental organizations, especially anti-corruption bodies, do not have a share in the government budget and are struggling to finance their activities while institutions that are immune from supervision and are the least beneficial benefit from the public budget.
Moreover, the lack of effective legal protection has turned anti-corruption endeavors into a high-risk business; those fighting against corruption must always wait for the “law-abiding” counterattack of those accused of corruption. In other words, it seems that the legal protection for the accused in corruption cases is stronger than the legal protection for those fighting against corruption.
Government officials promise to facilitate the activities of economic enterprises and always seek to make it easier for applicants to start new businesses, but those seeking to launch an NGO face many difficulties and discouraged from “caring for the affairs of Muslims”.
NGOs Forsaken in 7th FYDP
The seventh five-year development plan (from the fiscal 2023-24 to 2027-28) was a good opportunity to work out a solution for this problem and could have laid the groundwork for mobilizing the contribution of NGOs.
However, by reviewing the draft of the plan, which has been submitted to the parliament for approval, we realize that little or no attention has been paid to these institutions.
One might safely say that civil institutions are not powerful and influential, therefore they do not have a say in the affairs of the country. Even if this claim was true, which is not, it does not absolve the planners because they should formulate a plan to empower civil organizations.
Turning a blind eye to the potential of NGOs is one of the serious shortcomings of the 7th FYDP. I strongly urge those in charge to resolve this shortcoming before it is too late with the cooperation of activists, especially the anti-corruption community of the country.
