Gov’t Mobilized to Meet Leader’s Economic Demands

President Ebrahim Raisi urged all ministries and state organizations to submit their plans for fulfilling the economic demands of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei within a maximum of 25 days. 
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Raisi described the Leader’s pieces of advice given during his Tuesday speech as “a guideline for all,” saying state authorities are the main audience who should take on the task of realizing the slogan of the year in practical way. 
“All Cabinet members and state managers have a responsibility to seriously pursue the demands of the Leader, which constitute public demands, with a novel approach and detailed plans,” he said. 
Ayatollah Khamenei chose “inflation control and growth in production” as the motto of the new Iranian year and reiterated the need to accomplish these goals in his address to government officials on Tuesday. 
“Through the entire year, all authorities must focus their attention on these central and fundamental points, rather than speaking of them for a few days and let the slogan of the year sink into oblivion later,” he said. 
The president highlighted the Leader’s call for encouraging public participation, instructing all executive organizations top prepare a roadmap for allowing the cooperation of the private sector in economy. 
He also stressed the need for strengthening the knowledge-based aspect of economy, asking related bodies to pave the way for achieving this purpose in the short term. 
In his speech on Tuesday, the Leader had asked the government to prepare a roadmap for making national economy knowledge-based, make arrangements for its execution and inform the public.  
He had also called for a serious fight against corruption, describing the scourge as a “contagious disease”. 
Raisi said such fight was a key objective of his administration since the first day and will remain so. 
“Officials at any level have a duty to carefully oversee sensitive sectors with a potential for administrative and financial corruption and boost the sense of trust in authorities at the same time,” he said. 

Securing Livelihoods 

Raisi later emphasized that funds must be supplied and spent from reliable and secure sources to prevent a budget deficit. 
It is upon the government to reform the budget structure and planning for the use of resources, he told the Cabinet. 
The president underlined the importance of managing energy consumption besides stimulating growth in production and advised related ministries to prepare an efficient consumption model. 
Securing people’s livelihoods under any circumstances was another important duty of the government that president underscored in his address, calling for the adoption of required measures for a timely and sustainable supply of essential goods. 
Along this line, the prosecution of offenders, who produce goods from domestic raw material bought by rial and sell it in high prices at the value of dollar, must be on the government’s agenda, Raisi said. 
“Prices must be controlled by handing the affairs over to unions and maintaining the supervision of the Consumers and Producers Protection Organization,” he said. 
The Leader has called economy the most important issue of the country as it is linked to people’s livelihoods.  
Pointing to the important role of maritime or blue economy, the president ordered the formation of a special working group headed by the vice president to share responsibilities in this regard.
“Maritime-related organizations must plan and work toward increasing the share of this sector in the country’s economy from the current 2.2% to an acceptable degree,” he said. 
The president also tasked the minister of roads and urban development to expedite the completion of the north-south corridor project.