Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
Iran's economy will emerge from recession in the next calendar year (to start on March 21), Vice President for Planning and Strategic Supervision Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said on Feb. 12, Iranian Fars News Agency reported.
"The government hopes to sign new economic contracts in near future," he explained.
In regards to the unsold bonds of the government, Nobakht said that many contractors agreed to receive the bonds as part of their payment.
"Some 10,000 billlion rials (some $333.3 million based on the exchange rate of USD at the free market) of the government's debts was paid so," he added.
He went on to note that around 20,000 billlion rials (some $666.6 million based on the exchange rate of USD at the free market) of the issued bonds were sold.
In response to a question about the exact date of delivering the second food package, Nobakht said that the government needs to first solve the problems related to the first package.
Iranian government plans to hand out the second food package by the end of the current calendar year.
On Feb. 10, Iran's TASNIM News Agency quoted Nobakht as saying that the items of the second food package will not be changed
The official also added that the government cannot afford to increase the state employees' salaries by more than 18 per cent in the next calendar year.
"The government will try to improve the workers and state employees' economic situation by decreasing inflation," Nobakht said.
"The fuel prices will not increase in the current year (to end March 20)," he said.