Iran’s first Vice President apologizes to the people over current socio-economic situation

Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, addressed the country’s economic state, stating: “We all understand the difficulties the economy is currently facing. Today, our most serious problem is the rapid rise in prices,”  – “Free Iran” YouTube channel reports.

He went on to admit: “So, what is to be done? We do not want to accumulate debt for the future. We do not want to make mistakes. We do not want to squander public wealth that belongs to the state and society. We cannot sell crude oil and simply spend the proceeds—that wealth belongs to future generations.”

Having said this, he appealed—on behalf of the government—to universities and scholars for assistance in rescuing the country from the economic crisis. The Iranian official also spoke about the negative impact of soaring prices on the population’s livelihood: “If inflation is at 20%, a 5% wage increase is unacceptable. If inflation is at 40% but wages have risen by only 20% over the last two years, that is unacceptable. If inflation exceeds 60–70% this year and we raise wages by only 20%, living under such conditions is simply impossible.”

The First Vice President added: “We sincerely apologize to the people and feel ashamed that, today, people’s incomes—especially those of wage earners—do not cover their expenses.”

Moreover, Mohammad Reza Aref emphasized that high inflation and skyrocketing prices are not problems that can be solved by a few officials sitting in their offices. Administrative measures taken by the Ministry of Economy or the Central Bank cannot halt this process; the issue is a structural macroeconomic one.