BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 27. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the removal of obstacles to the expansion of the powers of the governors of border provinces, Trend reports via the information portal of the Iranian president.
A meeting was held at the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) with the participation of the Iranian president, a number of ministers, and governors of border provinces on January 26.
The meeting examined the removal of obstacles and restrictions on the import of essential products into the country and trade exchange with border provinces.
At the meeting, Pezeshkian said that the establishment of a working group on improving the country's food security and the living conditions of citizens has led to positive results.
The president noted that with the implementation of the program on food security and improving the living conditions of citizens, a large part of the economic pressure on citizens as a result of the sanctions imposed against the country will be reduced.
He stated that in the current circumstances, the elimination of bureaucratic obstacles and solving the problems facing the import of essential products should be kept in the spotlight.
At the meeting, the CBI Governor Abdul Nasser Hemmati noted that according to current statistics, 77 million people in the country have so far used the funds allocated under the program for improving food security and the living conditions of citizens. The implementation of this program has created a positive direction in the foreign exchange market, and more than $2.25 billion has been exchanged in the country's trade market.
Hemmati said that 746 trillion rials (about $703 million) worth of funds have also been paid out under this program.
According to the Iranian government, foreign currency has been allocated to the country at low prices as a subsidy for the import of a number of essential goods and medical supplies. This has led to an increase in rent-seeking and corruption in the country, as a result of which citizens have been unable to take advantage of this subsidy. On this basis, each citizen receives funds from the government for the monthly purchase of essential goods for 10 million rials (about $9.42). The program, implemented by the government to support the living conditions of citizens, actually creates competition in the market.
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