Truth in Iranian Rohani Administration
By Dalga Khatinoglu
After eight years of attempts to keep economic statistics hidden
or release misinformation during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency,
Iran's new presidential administration publishes the real
information about the country's economic, which is consistent with
the views of economists and valuable international
organizations.
Ex-President Ahmadinejad has put new job creation statistics at 7
million per 8 years, as well as 10 percent and 5.4 percent economic
growth for Iranian solar years which ended in March, 2011 and in
March, 2012 respectively and called the resolutions and sanctions
of western countries and UN as "worthless papers".
Now, Iranian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ali Tayyebnia
says that Iran is at stagflation, experiencing about zero percent
of GDP growth, 45 percent point-to point inflation rate and is
going to face 8.5 million unemployed people in the near future.
The Stagflation is when economic growth stagnates while inflation
rises.
Iranian president's deputy for planning Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht also
quoted Iran's statistical center statistics on August 26, saying
the country's economy shrank by 5.4 percent in the past Iranian
calendar year.
According to International Monetary Fund, Iran's GDP for 2012 was
negative 1.9 percent, while the country's economy is expected to
decrease by 1.3 percent in 2013.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani earlier said that in average 14,000
new jobs have been created per year during Ahmadinejad's
presidency.
Iranian former Petroleum Minister, Rostam Qasemi was dismissing the
drop in oil production, slow progress in oil and gas projects and
called the sanctions as an opportunity for the country's
development, while current Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says
there was no any significant increase in gas production during last
8 years and according to OPEC statistics, Iran's oil production has
decreased from 4.07 million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2005 to 2.684
mbpd in last month.
Admission of economic realities is the first step in programming
the progress, which was probably admitted by Rohani Government from
the beginning.