“So far, the salary of office workers, 5-year and 7-year economic plans, and organizing funding of several sectors such as agriculture and infrastructures have been based on the quantity and price of oil barrels in the global market,” he told a nation-wide meeting of cooperatives managers.
“Still, annual budgeting of major sectors is calculated based on anticipating the price of oil in the global market and the price of dollar in the upcoming year,” he said quoted by president.ir website on Sunday.
He said that despite the reduction of the share of oil to 33 per cent last year, one third of the budget is still based on oil and added, “The Iranian economy is based on a single product, a problem which has not been completely resolved yet.”
President Rouhani described the policy of his government being in line with creating tranquility and a new atmosphere for developing the country.
“What the government had to do with the help of people was lifting wrong, cruel, and anti-human rights sanctions in order to clear the path to development, and to let the cooperatives in all over the country start their quick momentum for developing Iran.”
“At the time of sanctions, some powerful countries opposed the government and the nation of Iran by forcing us to sell only one million barrels a day and that in turn is considered not only imposing economic pressure, but also disrespecting our national honor and pride,” he added.
“Our nation has resisted and resilience of our nation deserves being praised and be told well done. Our nation should know that the arrogance and the big powers have placed chains on economic movement of Iran and impeded its progress, targeting their dignity, freedom, trade and sale of their resources. And now, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) means breaking all the chains.”
“That (the JCPOA) is what our national heroes held talks with six major powers round the clock for two years and resisted for each word and sentence of it so that context of the deal was achieved. No one can claim throughout history that the context of the deal is inconsistent with dignity and majesty of Iranian nation. You do see that whole the world and all countries, excluding an illegitimate regime and a number of extremists inside the US, have been humble before the agreement, taking it as a move in line with international peace,” Rouhani said.
He also said that the Iranian nation will decide how much and in what market to sell oil and to what bank accounts it will deposit the revenues and where or how to spend them, media reports said.
He criticized former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the radicals supporting him and his well-known rhetoric saying that he deserved to undertake the leadership of the global community unifying enemies of the Iranian nation to impose crippling sanctions on Iran, according to IRNA.
“Unfortunately, certain miscalculated and wrong moves by the former statesmen led to undermine the prestige and glory of the Iranian nation so that a precious gem and diamond dropped to a deep dark valley as there was no light to show the way. All government efforts are based on trying to get the diamond out of the dark valley through determination and support of the nation and guidance of the leadership. You can clearly see the illumination of the diamond got out of the dark valley and the nation is proud of the shining of it,” he was quoted saying in a critical tone.
He also said that in the past, due to the oil-dependence and the outward looking and not the inward looking nature of Iranian economy, others instructed selling Iranian oil to the market as the prices were decided by the market and not by Iranians themselves.
Iran under sanctions was obliged to export only one million barrels of oil and not more, which was an economic pressure on the Iranian nation, and dealing a blow to national pride and dignity, he added.
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