Rewritten Title: Iran Announces New Subsidy Framework with Updated Income Brackets
Article:
In a significant move to refine its social welfare system, new income thresholds for Iran’s subsidy program have been outlined, directly impacting how millions of families are categorized for government support.
New Calculation Formula Unveiled
Ahmad Bigdeli, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s Social Commission, detailed the revised methodology for determining eligibility. The new formula excludes housing costs from the calculation, focusing instead on per capita household income. The baseline has been set at an equivalent of 10 million Tomans per person per month.
“For example, a five-member household would need a monthly income equivalent to 50 million Tomans to be classified in the higher deciles,” Bigdeli stated.
The New Income Threshold
The pivotal benchmark announced is a monthly income of 55 million Tomans for a standard four-person family. Households with an income below this level will fall into deciles 1 through 7, while those above it will be placed in deciles 8 through 10. This classification is central to the government’s strategy of ensuring subsidies reach their intended demographic.
Addressing Implementation Challenges
While explaining the framework, Bigdeli also highlighted areas requiring further refinement to ensure fairness and accuracy. He pointed to the need for a more comprehensive approach for lower deciles (1-7), which would involve assessing factors like vehicle or property ownership and existing state support.
A particular focus was placed on households with special needs members. “Not considering the specific conditions of families with patients suffering from specific diseases or individuals with disabilities could be a primary challenge for this program,” he remarked, advocating for more inclusive assessment methods.
A Call for Greater Financial Transparency
A key point of the discussion was the necessity for a robust and transparent data system. Bigdeli emphasized that the absence of a precise national registry for assets, properties, and incomes could hinder the effective execution of the new policy.
He proposed that before any full-scale implementation, the Ministry of Cooperatives should establish a comprehensive system to accurately identify the assets and incomes of both individuals and legal entities. This step is seen as crucial for the equitable distribution of subsidies and for strengthening the country’s broader tax and resource management frameworks.
This recalibration of the subsidy system represents a continued effort to optimize social support, with a clear emphasis on developing precise and transparent mechanisms for its delivery.