Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Eshaq Jahangiri addressed the 43rd meeting of representatives of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture on Saturday. “We would not be deflected from the main mission of fighting corruption; we will focus on the main issue, and know well where in the economic system corruption is rampant,” he added.
Jahangiri addressed the public; “I ensure you that the government is resolute in acting according to the constitution, commitment to honesty before the public; I believe fighting corruption would be effective only when people are sensitive to the issue and a free media enlightens the public opinion with investigative journalism.”
“In the government, we had as a pivot revealing economic privileges, the loops where corruption finds its way to the government corridors, save havens, and fighting them altogether,” Jahangiri emphasized.
He called for support by other branches of the state and the public as well to advance the policy; “society, state, and a healthy private sector provide the bed rock of material and intellectual growth for the country; no country would survive the corruption and embrace development without an efficient and lively private sector,” he added, noting that the government would not see itself a competitor against the private sector.
Jahangiri believed that the problems of the country rooted in sanctions and the quality of economic policies of the recent decade; “we see the problem and acted in both areas; an expert and very wise foreign policy team went to the negotiation table with the world powers; with sanctions removed, no other new sanctions was put on the economy,” he said.
Jahangiri made touching hints on the issue of economic privileges granted by the state to a ‘young lad.’ “We wonder how a young lad received more than $2.7bn of oil income; if this lump sum is not restored to the financial system of the country, it would be a disgrace for the country; the public is now patiently watching us, and will definitely ask when the amount embezzled would return to the country,” he bewailed, “as government, we have not yet found out anything more than mere speculations.”
Jahangiri demanded that the mechanisms and processes gaining of such privileges by insiders be disclosed to the public. He criticized a line of policy in the previous government, to control exchange rate as sending huge amounts of money to Istanbul and Dubai, where over $20bn was transferred from the country in 18 months.
SH/HRGH
MNA
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