Need to Enhance Transparency to Boost Public Trust in Gov’t

President Ebrahim Raisi stressed the need for transparency as a means to counter corruption and enhance public trust in the government.   
“In the [incumbent] popular government, transparency is considered to be in the interests of all people and administrative, executive and supervisory organizations and we believe its realization will be reassuring for members of the public,” he said at a national conference on enhancing transparency on Sunday, President.ir reported. 
He added that all executive affairs must be transparently available for the public so that they can be informed of recruitments, appointments and promotions within the state bodies, as well as projects and their development and qualitative and quantitative indices. 
Transparency is not a principle imported into Iranian laws, but is rooted in the country’s religious culture, according to the president. 
“It has been stated in the Constitution that people must be informed about contracts and treaties, as well as all economic and social activities, unless there is a risk of enemy abuse,” he said. 
Raisi also noted that better transparency would prevent corrupt relations and favoritism in administrative bodies and prevent violations. 
In the economic sector, transparency is not harmful, but will boost economic security and provide support for business people, the president said. 
“It is no room for concern, but will assure those who work correctly that their business enjoys legal support.” 

Anti-Corruption Nature 

Raisi later underlined the Islamic Republic’s anti-corruption nature, saying that efforts to fight such practices and reform procedures that can lay the ground for corrupt action will assure people and gain their trust.  
“Self-control, people’s monitoring, supervision by relevant organizations and prosecuting violators are four key steps that can help tackle corruption and practice justice,” he said. 
Preventing and combating corruption will neutralize enemy efforts to call the honest services of state organizations into question in the public eye, according to Raisi. 
“We need to show in practice that the country’s administrative and executive system is efficient and wants to work with honesty to address people’s problems,” he said. 
He also instructed all state entities to fully implement the law on enhancing administrative law-abidance, which he described as an effective rule with regard to fighting corruption. 

National Principle

Majlis Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also addressed the conference, highlighting that transparency is in the nature of the Islamic Republic and constitutes a religious requirement. 
“In the Islamic system, the principle of transparency must be regarded with seriousness and not as a decorative and ceremonial affair,” he said, adding that it is a religious duty and a public right. 
He also noted that in the modern sovereignty, transparency is a national principle which is required to achieve an efficient system of governance. 
“In all sectors, expect those which are confidential and are governed by special rules, information must be accessible for all,” he said. 
Qalibaf said transparency must be regarded as a non-replaceable principle of the Islamic Republic, but also warned about allowing the concept to be interpreted in different ways. 
Besides enhancing transparency, the Majlis speaker also called for plans to make all sectors “smart, popular and efficient.”
“These four approaches must be seen in all aspects of people’s lives,” he said.