The alerts are high by the end of the first round presidency of President Hassan Rouhani and his obligations to introduce his new Cabinet for approval of the Parliament in a matter of weeks. In this respect, the private sector has renewed its call to have a bigger presence in the government’s scheme of important economical issues.
“We hope ministers of the next administration will be familiar with international developments and be really expert in this field, also in their own fields of studies and expertise. They should move in line with the country’s economic plan. We hope that they prevent from exclusive government control and consult the private sector and independent experts,” the head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) said.
According to the official news website of ICCIMA, Gholamhossein Shafei also called on the government to form a team of economic advisers whose main responsibility would be to identify, prioritize and offer solutions for economic problems,
As an adviser to major branches of the government, the Iranian chamber has so far put forth its views on a variety of issues, including the necessity of devising a comprehensive economic plan, improving the business climate, reducing bank interest rates and adhering to tax fairness.
As Shafei notes, the chamber has repeatedly emphasized the importance of strengthening the role of private sector and improving the share of private sector in the economy.
Speaking in the latest meeting of ICCIMA’s board of representatives on Saturday, the official asked the next administration to devise a comprehensive plan to control its costs and steer clear of populist policies and ad-hoc schemes implemented without proper studies.
Shafei said the completion of incomplete projects would lead to long-term development and advised the administration to cede a number of these projects to the private sector, stressing that prioritizing them for maximum efficiency would be most important.
Noting that “upstanding manufacturers” must be distinguished from those who ride a wave of high inflation to their advantage, the official added that the ICCIMA “is ready to offer its full capacity to the government in this regard”.
