The third session of the members of the Iranian Entrepreneurs' Forum and Seyed Ehsan Khandouzi, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, was held on Wednesday, Dey month, at the ministry's headquarters.
According to the Iranian Entrepreneurs' Forum Information Center, at the beginning of this session, each member of the forum explained their economic problems and concerns. Some of the issues raised in this meeting included currency problems, such as the allocation of codes, lack of financial support from the central bank, suspension of major facilities payments, and banking problems
After explaining the issues and problems of the economic drivers of the forum, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance stated: "In the toughest conditions, when some thought that after one or two or three years, they could bring the country to its knees, we are witnessing this year that the country's economy will experience a relatively good growth rate."
He added: "In the government and the Ministry of Economy, we are trying to reduce the pressures that exist within the executive bodies and the exhausting and corrupt procedures as much as possible, because these pressures only lead to increased production costs and transaction costs, and on the other hand, reduce the competitiveness of producers against their competitors."
Khandouzi added: "Iran's economy has always told exporters and producers of the country that I don't need you and I can produce oil and manage the country myself, but today it must learn that if it doesn't allow them to produce oil, it must rely on its exporters and producers and continue its existence with them."
Khandouzi, in another part of his speech, referred to the topic of the government's exit from business ownership and stated: It is the government's burden to be involved in business ownership, and in this regard, we have succeeded in creating a consensus at the highest level of the government and the judiciary to solve this problem. In the coming months, you will see that this method and process will be reversed, and a significant portion of the businesses that were under the control of banks and the executive apparatus will be handed over.
The Minister of Economy said: Our preference in this matter is to avoid repeating past experiences, where we relied on the Social Security Organization, the National Pension Fund, the Executive Headquarters of Imam's Order, and other public institutions to manage these companies.
He has invited entrepreneurs, producers, and exporters to take part in the transfer of some companies. He advised that the transfer of these companies should be at a fair price that the economic actors believe to be reasonable. Overpricing should be avoided as it will discourage economic actors from participating. He stated clearly that some government officials may not want private sector actors to enter this field. However, the government and the judiciary agree to support and assist in this matter. They will make necessary decisions with courage, determination, transparency, and adherence to the law.
Khandouzi, referring to the financing of businesses, said: We will strive to hold a meeting in the presence of the President, where the Governor of the Central Bank will also be present, and the President will directly hear the issues from the entrepreneurs' mouths, and if necessary, make a decision or issue an order. This event will take place in this meeting."
"If we are looking for production growth, financial supply is the country's primary issue,"
he said. "If we are looking for production and growth, the issue of financial supply, both in terms of currency and rials, is ultimately the country's primary issue. If we compare the current production situation with the past five years, we see that producers' production has grown significantly. However, this is not the complete capacity of our producers, and much more production needs to happen in the country.
The Minister of Economy spoke about the issuance of securities: "In the Ministry of Economy, we have tried to increase the use of securities, and we have even told the head of the Tax Organization that anyone who presents these securities, which are due by the end of the year, to the Tax Organization, should accept them as taxes from the issuers so that these securities do not remain with the producers and have attractiveness.
He spoke about resolving foreign exchange commitments: "In this regard, there are various methods that can be used. For example, a foreign investor can come and invest in exchange for resolving their foreign exchange commitments, or they can import currency more easily without specifying the origin.
Solving the problems of economic activists in the field of foreign exchange commitments
Khandoozi emphasized the Ministry of Economy's efforts to solve the problems of economic activists in the field of foreign exchange commitments: "We are trying to open up the range of methods for resolving foreign exchange commitments, but we must also consider that the Central Bank cannot tell everyone to interact with any other party in terms of managing the foreign exchange market and its resources and uses. Instead, the Central Bank must also be able to meet the needs of industrial producers for information and control over the flows, and policy considerations must also be taken into account in this regard.
He stated: "In the first 9 months of last year, the official import figure was almost zero, and this year, official imports have reached 100,000 tons. The government has announced that it does not demand any duties, customs fees, or taxes in this regard, and today we see that in the first 9 months of this year, 1 million tons of goods have been imported into the country."
"The Minister of Economy, referring to the approval of a resolution regarding the use of foreign currency for investment, said: In this regard, we only needed a directive, which was delayed for several months, but before attending today's meeting, I contacted the Central Bank and the Central Bank also informed me of the approval of the relevant directive.
Furthermore, at the end of this session, the Minister of Economic Affairs emphasized that there is no wall shorter than the wall of production in the country, and stated: We should have a meeting with the members of the Iranian Entrepreneurs Forum and the relevant ministers, the Head of the Central Bank, in the presence of the President, to discuss issues such as financing the steps of securities, resolving foreign exchange commitments, and making decisions."