Iranian MP urges economy reforms as ministers cannot ‘perform miracles’
A member of Iran’s Parliament stated that the focus should not be on the economy ministers but on changing the tools and conditions of the economy.
“It doesn’t matter who the minister is; they can’t perform miracles. The necessary economic conditions and tools must be fixed, and we cannot expect the government to remedy the economy in two or three days,” Ahmad Bigdeli told ILNA.
Bigdeli commented on the recent impeachment of the economy minister and the current state of the country, noting that the Parliament voted to oust the minister, effectively ending Abdolnaser Hemmati’s tenure.
“I hope the president quickly proposes a candidate to avoid further uncertainty,” the MP added. Regarding the country’s economic outlook ahead of the Nowrouz (New Year) without an economy minister, he said, “I hope the economic team performs more effectively, and the absence of a minister does not impact the market. A caretaker has been appointed to handle the minister’s duties and address people’s concerns for the New Year.”
Warns of political pressure
A member of the Parliament’s Economic Committee highlighted the financial outflow from the stock market following the impeachment of the economy minister, stating that turning impeachment into a tool for political pressure deprives the government of the opportunity to appoint competent individuals.
“No wise person would accept short-term responsibilities for the challenging role of economy minister,” said Farid Mousavi in an interview with ILNA.
He noted that despite the Leader’s emphasis on avoiding excessive use of supervisory tools, the fastest impeachment in a government’s history occurred recently.
Mousavi warned that the impeachment would lead to market instability, pointing out that approximately 1 trillion tomans exited the stock market in the first hour of trading on Monday.
“This heavy financial outflow means capital is leaving Iranian industries, 70% of which are production-based,” he explained.
Stabilizing currency rates
Another Parliament member suggested that the introduction of a new economy minister could lead to a reduction in currency rates.
“The dollar has a unique characteristic—it recognizes people. When it sees Abdolnaser Hemmati, it rises; when it sees someone else, it falls,” said Abdolvahid Fayazi in an interview with ILNA.
Fayazi commented on the post-impeachment economic situation, stating that the Parliament exercised its legal right, and it is now the president’s authority to appoint a caretaker. He acknowledged warnings that the impeachment could challenge market stability but noted that the Parliament proceeded with the vote.
“Those who pushed for the impeachment predicted that if Hemmati was impeached, the government would introduce a better candidate,” Fayazi said.
Regarding currency fluctuations after the impeachment, he added, “This situation may persist until a new minister is appointed, but once a candidate is proposed, the exchange rate should decrease.”