According to the state-affiliated news outlet Etemad Online, on March 19, legal expert Kambiz Norouzi strongly criticized the Planning and Budget Organization’s refusal to publish the 2025 budget tables, calling it a sign of deliberate secrecy.
In a harsh statement directed at the government, he said: “It is astonishing that the Planning and Budget Organization or the Presidential Office refuses to publish the budget tables. Secrecy is usually not unrelated to wrongdoing. Those who are confident in the correctness of their actions never resort to concealment.”
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Norouzi stressed that the budget law, unlike military or security information, is not classified and that there is no justification for hiding it.
Fear of Exposure or Violation of People’s Rights?
The state-affiliated Khabar Online website also quoted Norouzi as saying, “Keeping the budget tables confidential during the review stage is a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the people.”
He described this move as contrary to the Constitution, the right to free flow of information, and the citizens’ right to access public data. He added: “This secrecy strengthens suspicions that the budget tables contain figures that the government fears will provoke public outrage.”
Norouzi called on the government to explain why it has refused transparency at this critical stage.
Who Benefits from the Budget Tables’ Secrecy?
In response to the question of who benefits from the secrecy surrounding the budget tables, the legal expert bluntly stated: “The people certainly do not benefit. The real winners are individuals within the hidden layers of power, whose actions are never reported to the public.”
He cited examples such as the illegal transfer of land belonging to a seminary in Ozgol, northern Tehran, to Kazem Sedighi, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader, a case about which no report was ever provided to the public.
Norouzi also mentioned institutions linked to figures such as the late Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, a Mullah close to the regime, and asked: “Why should the people bear the cost of these organizations while having no knowledge of how these budgets are spent? Why is this money taken from the public while schools and universities in the country lack basic facilities?”
Why Does Khamenei’s Government Engage in Secrecy?
The secrecy surrounding budget tables cannot simply be considered an administrative oversight; rather, it is part of a long-standing pattern aimed at preventing transparency and avoiding accountability to the public.
It appears that the primary reason for this secrecy is the fear of exposing wasteful expenditures and the allocation of massive budgets to institutions and individuals that provide no benefit to the general public.
These expenditures, which often end up in the pockets of those close to power or fund unnecessary projects, could, if revealed, spark public outrage and even lead to larger uprisings.
The Iranian regime is well aware that in the current economic crisis, any transparency regarding the misuse of public resources could completely destroy the remaining trust of the people.
Therefore, secrecy is not just a tool for maintaining power but also a shield against potential protests.
But how long can this strategy prevent the eruption of accumulated discontent?
