From government statistics to systematic concealment
According to Iran Gate’s report, it has been over two months that the Central Bank and the Statistical Center, which are the authorities for publishing economic statistics, have not fulfilled their duties in this regard. Many experts criticize the government and the Central Bank for this unlawful action, considering it a major threat to the country’s economy. Others believe that these government actions indicate a change in the government’s strategy in macroeconomic management of the country.
Since the beginning of Ibrahim Raisi’s presidency, the government has had a clear strategy in dealing with economic challenges in the media. According to this strategy, the government decided to manipulate official statistics to build a resume for itself, which it can use to support its managers in dealing with the media. In this framework, there was no difference between the statistics of egg price changes in a year and the point-to-point inflation rate, and the government’s approach has been almost the same in all cases.
However, it seems that for about 5 months, the government of Ebrahim Raisi has decided to change its strategy in this regard and adopt a new approach. According to the new pattern, it appears that the government has concluded that by preventing the publication of statistics in general, it will not create trouble for itself and will free itself from the difficult and challenging confrontation with critical journalists.
Departure of the Statistical Center and the silence of the Central Bank
Until the preparation of this report, more than 70 days have passed since no inflation rate statistics have been published in the country. According to the Sixth Development Plan, which is still in effect, the Statistical Center of Iran was responsible for publishing the monthly inflation report in Iran and was supposed to publish this report on the official website of the Statistical Center on the first day of each month. However, as mentioned, the last statistics published by the Statistical Center of Iran were related to the inflation rate report in the month of Bahman 1401, and until now, no explanation has been provided regarding its departure.
What’s interesting here is that not even the slightest sound is heard from the Central Bank’s tribunes. Usually, in situations where the government needs statistics, the Central Bank enters and assists the government’s economic team. But in the current situation, even the Central Bank has decided to maintain a contemplative silence regarding the release of inflation statistics.
The issue is more extensive than the non-publication of statistics.
However, the main government’s strategy of concealment in the area of publishing statistics is not limited to monthly inflation reports. The Central Bank is also obliged to publish a monthly report on the housing market situation in the country. But until now, for over four months, the Central Bank has not published the slightest report under this title. Interestingly, since Mohammad Reza Farzin Sakan has taken charge of the Central Bank, the institution’s approach has been such that there has been minimal interaction even with official media outlets.
The government’s Information Council is the center of suppressing news.
However, the issue goes far beyond the discussion of the non-disclosure of inflation and housing market reports. The dismissal of the spokesperson of the Central Insurance of Iran, the Ministry of Industry, and the serious warnings to the public relations experts of government agencies, including the most important signs, indicate a change in the government’s strategy in dealing with the media. These dismissed managers, who have recently faced the consequences of their superiors, are among the victims of the 180-degree turn of the Ibrahim Raisi government in the field of public relations.
The command center of this strategic turn is also the government’s Information Council, chaired by Sepehr Khalaji. Interestingly, the comments of the spokesperson of the Central Insurance and also Omid Kalibaf, the former controversial spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry, were directly and without intermediaries confronted by Khalaji, and that too on the social media platform Twitter. This confrontation was serious and deep enough that the former Minister of Industry, Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin, and the head of the Central Insurance were forced to quickly and without delay sign the order for the dismissal of their spokespersons.
The 180-degree turn of the government
This type of behavior indicates that the government has decided to adopt a new approach towards publishing news related to the government, especially economic variables of the country. Examples such as the non-disclosure of regular and routine reports from institutions like the Statistical Center and the Central Bank serve as confirmation that the government has decided to restrict its communication with the media more than before. Apparently, senior officials of the executive branch believe that these actions can reduce the existing tensions in the economic and even social atmosphere of the country.
However, almost all experts, including economists and sociologists, agree that the government’s new media policy will not only fail to reduce tensions but will also worsen the situation.
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