Compared to previous years, the Iranian government is looting the population more, at higher levels, and in new ways. So brutal that even the basket of the middle class has become empty, and the people are searching for their daily bread.
The low living standards, unemployment, and social problems caused by it and the inflation and other economic affairs have the main role in this situation and the truth is that the livelihoods of the majority of the society are critical.
“We are now faced with the phenomenon that in addition to those who are in poverty or are below the poverty line, the middle class is getting worse day by day, and 90 percent of people in society are stressed by livelihood.” (State-run daily Resalat, September 1, 2021)
All the signs of Iran’s economy, such as the decline of the economic boom, are indicating that the welfare of the Iranian people is waning away.
Compared to the 2000s, the Iranian people are consuming less food and are paying more for goods such as meat, dairy, rice, and sugar. And that in a situation while after the attack of the coronavirus the health expenses are increasing but the incomes did not increase in line with the increase of the inflation.
The fate of the looted 100 trillion tomans is just a small example of this corruption as Massoud Khansari, Head of the Chamber of Commerce, said:
“Of the approximately $15,000 billion in imports in the first four months of 2021, nearly one-third of that is related to the government’s currency. Thus, by the end of July, 100 trillion tomans of currency will be allocated to the basic goods in this way.”
Then pointing to the statistics of the statistic center that announced the inflation rate of basic goods at 58 percent during the same period he added:
“In this way, it is unclear what the 100 billion tomans brought for the economy other than the destruction of the economy rent-seeking and corruption.” (Hamdeli, September 1, 2021)
The inflation of the basic goods is saying the reality of the people’s situation and reveal the truth about the corruption in the government. Bread and grain with a 56 percent increase, fish with a 43 percent increase, milk, cheese, and egg with a 66 percent increase.
About the imbalance of the distribution of wealth and even the distribution of subsidies Masoud Mirkazemi head of the Planning and Budget Organization said:
“A few who have a favorable financial situation and have a lot of property win the largest share, but a rural person has a very small share of subsidies. “(Shargh, September 9, 2021)
While the government is thinking of cutting off the people’s subsidies, one of the MPs warned the government and said:
“In the current situation, the threshold for people’s tolerance about this issue is lower than the past days, and officials should pay special attention to this issue.” (Abolfazl Torabi, Etemad, September 8, 2021)
What officials like him are scared of is clear, a situation like the anti-government protests of 2017 and 2019.
