The Parliament Rejected Raisi’s Claims
The Parliament Rejected 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, oil revenues have not only not increased but have 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 oil revenues. However, the information published by the Parliament’s Research Center on December 11, 2022, indicates a deep gap between the reality of the country’s foreign exchange revenues 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, reference is made to the realization of the government’s oil revenues in the first half of 2022. This section of the report states that the government succeeded in earning only 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 should have earned 250 trillion tomans from oil exports in the first half of 2022.
However, according to the Parliament’s Research Center, the government’s performance indicates a 56% realization of the budget expectations from oil revenues, while the thirteenth government is particularly insistent on a significant increase in the implementation of the 2022 budget, especially in earning revenue from oil sales.
The Government is Penniless
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 expenses have been realized compared to the six-month budget law.
In other words, the failure to realize 27% of the budget resources in the first six months of the year has led the government to resort to ways such as reducing the allocation of capital asset acquisition credits to compensate for its needs.
These statistics and figures narrate the reality that Ebrahim Raisi’s government has not only been unable to implement the 2022 budget but contrary to the promises and claims of the head of the government, it is predicted that a budget deficit of more than 300 trillion tomans awaits Iran’s economy. A budget deficit that means increased 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 on the FATF blacklist, it has managed to set a historic record in collecting oil revenues. In other words, the government always uses this claim as evidence to emphasize the statement of preventing the people’s livelihood from being tied to the JCPOA. Among these claims are the words of the government spokesperson last week, who claimed that oil export revenues have increased by 2.5 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 oil revenue collection 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, these numbers were all viewed with skepticism by economic observers. The most important question regarding these numbers and figures about increased oil sales was why the impact of this increased revenue is not seen in the country’s economy. Even one of the supporters, who was expected to stand in support of Ebrahim Raisi’s government, said in a conversational tone, 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, one can definitively challenge the thirteenth government’s claims of breakthroughs in earning foreign exchange revenues. Claims that have lulled the government into the illusion of having foreign exchange resources over the past year. However, this report might be like a hammer that wakes Raisi and his companions 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 expected.
