Iran Launches Major Phase of Subsidized Essential Goods Program for Millions
In a significant move to support household welfare, the Iranian government has initiated the fourth phase of its national subsidized shopping program, providing millions of citizens with direct financial aid for essential goods.
Program Launch and Eligibility
Government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mahagerani announced that as of Wednesday, May 8th, the electronic subsistence subsidy has been deposited into the accounts of eligible household heads. The launch of this phase was timed to coincide with the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Marjan Dabiri, the program’s spokesperson, confirmed that over 60 million citizens from the first to the seventh income deciles are covered by this initiative. This includes households under the support of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and the State Welfare Organization. The Ministry of Co-operation, Labour, and Social Welfare determines eligibility based on subsidy recipient data.
Funding and Allocation
The government has utilized a variety of methods to fund this phase of the program. These include the reallocation of the subsidy for the tenth income decile, value-added tax revenue, the budget of the Targeted Subsidies Organization, and adjustments within the public budget. Furthermore, last year, one billion dollars from the National Development Fund was allocated to support the scheme.
According to the head of the Targeted Subsidies Organization, substantial resources have been dedicated to ensure the successful execution of this phase, which are sufficient to cover the first seven income deciles. The allocated credit per person is as follows:
- Deciles 1 to 3: 500,000 Tomans per person
- Deciles 4 to 7: 350,000 Tomans per person
Any remaining credit from previous phases remains valid for use.
Restricted Use for Essential Goods
The subsidy credit is designated exclusively for the purchase of 11 specific essential items and cannot be used to buy any other goods. These items are:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Liquid oil
- Pasta
- Rice
- Sugar
- Legumes
- Frozen veal
These goods are available for purchase at contracted stores participating in the program.
How to Check Your Balance
Citizens can check their available subsidy balance through several methods:
- Primary Code: Dial #5001463 to display subsidy and goods credit.
- Secondary Code: Dial #78828 to check the status of the household head’s subsidy.
- National Code Method: Dial #443857[National Code]# to check the balance based on one’s national code.
- Alternatively, the “Shama” application or the portal of the Ministry of Co-operation, Labour, and Social Welfare can be used for inquiries.