In the past four decades, Iranian authorities have shown that they do not care about democracy and economic growth. Instead, they spend all the country’s national resources and capacities on preserving their rule.
Economic growth is, of course, the outcome of a scientific procedure and responsible policymaking, which relies on known financial norms. Such a system certainly benefits from mankind’s science and experience. In contrast, China’s improvement and that of its neighboring countries showed that economic succession and growth would not be achieved through an autocratic government.
Iran Suffers from Economic Confusion
According to government-linked economists and their studies and analysis, Iran’s economy suffers from chronic and long-time confusion. In developed countries, the path of economic improvement is defined as the economic growth axis. All the while, economic growth is no longer among Iranian policymakers’ priorities for many years.
Economists examine three indicators to describe a country’s economic situation, including inflation, employment, and particularly economic growth. However, Iranian economist Farhad Nili, who had already collaborated with international bodies, believes that officials have put aside economic growth for a long while.
“Economic growth was not politicians’ first priority. Therefore, people’s welfare has gradually been reduced. Among decisionmakers and policymakers, economic growth is neither seen nor determinative,” Nili said in an interview with Donya-e Eqtesad paper on December 26.
“[Economic] growth should have become the main goal of the country’s long-term decisions. However, it’s not seen that economic improvement had been raised a binding restriction in the country’s long-term decisions; as inflation is not a short-term binding in decisionmakers’ adoptions,” he added.
Statistics About Economic Growth Are Just a Show
Iranian officials deeply neglect real economic growth and try to dupe society with fictional statistics. In other words, improving people’s welfare is the inevitable result of economic improvement. However, in such circumstances, not only has citizens’ well-being not improve but it is deteriorating by the day.
This deterioration may be seen in the increase in essential goods’ prices, drop in the national currency, disappearing necessary supplies, rising taxes, and skyrocketing rents and house prices, pushing many citizens to reside in slums.
In a nutshell, economic growth is a longstanding concept. In this context, the figures provided by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) or the Statistics Center or short-time fluctuations in national incomes cannot be considered as reliable indicators for economic development.
Unbridled Poverty, An Inherent Outcome of Iran’s Systematic Corruption
In other words, 1.5-percent positive or negative growth in a year cannot surprise economists or make a fundamental change in a country’s economic path.
“If you see that a 1.5-percent growth has made policymakers happy, it is not because of their concerns about the people’s welfare, or they say, ‘Nice, our growth may expand the people’s product basket.’ No, [policymakers] tout this growth to say that ‘sanctions were ineffective’ and non-economic decisions did not badly harm the people’s economic interests. Therefore, raising these figures for positive change is probably a kind of a show,” wrote Tejarat-e Farda website on December 26.
Economy Isn’t Policymakers’ Priority
Furthermore, in addition to economic growth, the country’s inflation and employment rates are very important. However, Iranian rulers do not pay attention to these critical elements in either policymaking or macro schedules. Another economist Davoud Souri says that Iranian officials do not prioritize financial issues.
“[Economic] growth, along with inflation and unemployment, are among the most important financial indicators. However, economic issues are not considered as policymakers’ concern generally. In this status quo, economic policymaking has turned into a routine issue,” Donya-e Eqtesad quoted Souri as saying on December 26.
“Our politicians absolutely see no reason to react to economic dilemmas or to recognize them as an actual concern,” Souri added, raising the alarm about people’s financial grievances and its severe consequences for Iran’s rulers.
Political Tyranny, the Main Cause of Poverty and Underdevelopment
Iranian officials have practically been crippled to resolve society’s problems due to systematic corruption engulfed all over the ruling system. They attempt to dissuade people’s demands and protests by following the Eastern states’ pattern. However, it seems that they have even failed in such a plan and could not gain significant achievement in this context.
For more than 41 years, the ayatollahs have mixed a political tyranny with outdated religious beliefs, which has put not only the economy but also health, culture, agriculture, industry, and everything on the verge of collapse. Officials frequently warn and blame each other for the erosion of public trust.
They believe that people’s fury and disappointment are the leading and efficient threat to their ruling system. However, despite repeated warnings, they have no solution to regain public trust. In this respect, they tirelessly line their pockets and foreign accounts with national resources, send their family members to Europe, Canada, and Australia, and await their dark fate.
Iran: Improving Citizens’ Livelihood or Stealing From the Nation
