Title: Parliament Official Stresses National Imperative for Full E-Voucher Implementation
In a significant political development, a senior Iranian parliamentary figure has underscored the critical importance of fully activating the national electronic voucher (e-voucher) system as a cornerstone of the country’s economic resilience strategy.
A Mandate for Resilience
Mansour Alimardani, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s Integration Commission, has publicly framed the e-voucher system as a key legal mandate of the nation’s Seventh Development Plan. He emphasized that its comprehensive implementation is vital for bolstering societal resilience and supporting public livelihood, particularly in light of current economic conditions and external pressures.
“The execution of the electronic voucher is one of the explicit decrees in the Seventh Development Plan that must be operationalized,” Alimardani stated. He directly linked the policy’s importance to the broader context of navigating the country’s economic landscape.
Addressing a Critical Implementation Gap
The official highlighted a significant gap between the plan’s vision and its current execution. He noted that thus far, the e-voucher initiative has only been applied in a limited and temporary manner, such as through subsistence baskets and similar programs.
“Unfortunately, the implementation of the electronic voucher has only been partial and limited,” Alimardani said, clarifying that these temporary measures do not align with the core structure and objective of the e-voucher system as envisioned in the national development plan. He called for a “real and comprehensive” activation of the policy to effectively navigate future economic phases.
Timeline and Fiscal Deliberations
Despite its status as a clear directive, Alimardani indicated that a full-scale rollout of the e-voucher system is unlikely before early November. Furthermore, he addressed questions regarding the potential impact of preferential foreign exchange rates for essential goods imports on the voucher’s value.
He stated that whether preferential currency should be allocated solely for price stabilization of essential goods, and whether this would consequently increase the e-voucher’s monetary value, requires further deliberation in parliamentary sessions. Given the current legislative agenda, he suggested that this specific issue is not expected to be prioritized imminently.