Parliament Rejects Raisi’s Claims
Parliament Rejects Raisi’s Claims: According to Iran Gate, a report recently published by the Parliament’s Research Center once again refuted the Raisi government’s claim of more than a fivefold increase in oil revenues compared to last year. According to this report, not only did oil revenues not increase, but they also achieved slightly more than half of the budget forecasts for 2022.
The report from the Parliament’s Research Center on the implementation of the 2022 budget in the first half of the year has been released while the government continues to emphasize a more than fivefold increase in collected oil revenues. This is while the information released by the Parliament’s Research Center on December 11, 2022, indicates a deep gap between the realities of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and what the Raisi government claims.
The Big Oil Gap
In one of the most important sections of the report from the Parliament’s Research Center, the realization of the government’s oil revenues in the first half of 2022 is highlighted. This section of the report states that the government only managed to earn 141 trillion tomans from oil exports in the first six months of the current year. This is while, according to the approved budget, the government was supposed to earn 250 trillion tomans from oil exports in the first half of 2022.
However, the government’s record, according to the Parliament’s Research Center, indicates a 56% realization of budget expectations from oil revenues, while the thirteenth government insists on a significant increase in the implementation of the 2022 budget, particularly in earning income from oil sales.
The Government Has No Money
According to the report from the Parliament’s Research Center, it can be said that only three-quarters of the budget for the first half of the current year has been realized. This report is full of statistics and figures, each contradicting the strange and unrealistic claims of Ebrahim Raisi’s government. According to what is stated in this report, 73% of resources and 74% of expenditures have been realized compared to the approved six-month budget law.
In other words, the failure to realize 27% of budget resources in the first half of the year has led the government to resort to measures such as reducing the allocation of capital asset ownership credits to meet its needs.
These statistics and figures narrate the reality that Ebrahim Raisi’s government not only failed to implement the 2022 budget but contrary to the promises and claims of the head of the government, a budget deficit of more than 300 trillion tomans is expected for the Iranian economy. A budget deficit that will mean an increase in inflation in the weeks and months ahead.
The Difference is Like Night and Day
The thirteenth government claims that despite various sanctions and obstacles created due to Iran’s name being placed on the FATF blacklist, it has managed to set a historical record in collecting oil revenues. In other words, the government has always used this claim as evidence to emphasize the proposition of preventing the people’s livelihood from being tied to the JCPOA. Among these claims are the statements made by the government spokesperson last week, who claimed that revenues from oil exports have increased two and a half times compared to the beginning of the thirteenth government.
Earlier, in September 2022, the Planning and Budget Organization also spoke of a 700% increase in collected oil revenues during the first five months of 2022. On the other hand, the Court of Audit, in its budget review report, stated that oil revenues recorded a 440% growth in the first eight months of the current year.
If You Are Selling Oil
However, all these numbers are viewed with skepticism by economic observers. The most important question about these numbers and figures regarding increased oil sales was why the impact of this revenue increase is not seen in the country’s economy. Even one of the supporters, who was expected to be in the trenches supporting Ebrahim Raisi’s government, said in colloquial language, if you are selling oil and have no problem receiving its money, then why are rice, meat, and chicken getting more expensive every day? Why don’t people feel the increase in government revenues?
Now, with these interpretations, the claims of the thirteenth government regarding breakthroughs in foreign exchange earnings can be definitively challenged. Claims that have lulled the government into a delusion of possessing foreign exchange resources over the past year. But perhaps this report is like a hammer that will wake Raisi and his associates from the sweet dream they have designed for themselves. A dream that, if not ended, could lead to the economic collapse of the country much sooner than anticipated.