Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.13/ Trend F.Karimov/
Some 130 trillion rials (about $5.24 billion based on the Forex Centre's U.S. dollar exchange rate of 24,794 rials) worth of shares of Iranian state-owned companies have been transferred to the private sector in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 21, the Mehr News Agency reported.
The shares belonged to 25 state run companies.
Under the present interpretation of Article 44 of Iran's Constitution, hundreds of state-owned companies have been privatised with some of the shares being earmarked for distribution amongst deprived classes such as farmers and workers.
"In the first tranche, Justice Shares were distributed among 23 million villagers, and many rural workers have benefited under this scheme, according to Press TV.
Iranian parliament (Majlis) speaker Ali Larijani said that transferring economic activities to the public will remove the unemployment problem.
"Implementing Article 44 of the Constitution regarding privatisation is meant to transfer some of the economy to the public," Larijani added.