Title: Government Accelerates Plan to Re-target Subsidies, Aiding Vulnerable Families
Tehran – In a significant move to optimize the nation’s social support system, a senior Iranian lawmaker has called for the swift implementation of a legal mandate to redirect subsidy allocations from affluent households to those most in need.
A Legal Mandate for Economic Justice
Ramazanali Sangeduini, the representative of Gorgan and Aqqala in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, emphasized that the government possesses the full legal authority to proceed with the plan. “The government has the legal permission to remove subsidies from wealthy deciles,” Sangeduini stated, “and therefore, it must act more swiftly and seriously on this path.”
The initiative is framed as a crucial step in enhancing the efficiency and fairness of the country’s welfare programs, ensuring that state support reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Re-allocating Resources to Strengthen Social Welfare
Highlighting the broader economic strategy, the lawmaker explained that the resources saved from ceasing subsidies to wealthy households must be channeled directly to support lower-income families. This could be accomplished through mechanisms like electronic vouchers or other direct aid programs.
“Given the country’s economic conditions,” Sangeduini added, “while removing subsidies from the wealthy deciles, the resulting resources must be used to help the weaker sections of society.”
Optimizing Limited National Resources
As a member of the parliament’s Energy Commission, Sangeduini noted that for many affluent families, the current subsidy payments are inconsequential compared to their overall income and expenditure. This, he argued, represents an inefficient use of limited state resources.
“Considering the resource constraints in the subsidy sector, the removal of subsidies from wealthy deciles can be effective and pave the way for providing the more essential needs of society,” he affirmed.
Addressing Essential Needs
The official concluded by underscoring the dual urgency of the situation: vulnerable citizens require greater assistance, while the government faces the ongoing task of funding essential commodities like medicine and wheat.
“In the current situation, both the needy in the weaker deciles of society require more help, and supplying basic needs such as medicine and wheat necessitates sufficient financial resources, which must be provided through the reform of subsidy payments,” Sangeduini asserted.
This policy shift is presented as a targeted measure to fortify Iran’s social safety net, ensuring that national resources are deployed where they can have the most significant impact on public welfare.