Details of Tehran Municipality’s Billion-Toman Debt During Qalibaf’s Term
The Deputy for Planning, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs of Tehran Municipality says that Tehran Municipality’s debts reached above 52 thousand billion tomans by the end of Shahrivar of last year. Qalibaf completely denies the billion-toman debt of Tehran Municipality during his tenure.
Sakina Ashraafi, Deputy for Planning and Urban Development of Tehran Municipality, told IRNA news agency: “The exact amount of recorded and unrecorded debts of Tehran Municipality until the end of Shahrivar 96 is close to 52 thousand and 123 billion tomans, which of course has increased with the addition of penalties related to bank facilities.”
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran, denied the 54 thousand billion toman debt of Tehran Municipality a few days ago in a television program and called it “a big lie.” He said: “Tehran Municipality’s debts were 16 thousand billion tomans, of which 14 thousand billion tomans are the municipality’s claims against the government.”
Details of debts from the perspective of Tehran Municipality’s Deputy for Planning
The Deputy for Planning of Tehran Municipality told IRNA: “We have a series of definite and recorded debts in Tehran Municipality, the amount of which is approximately 29 thousand and 510 billion tomans until Shahrivar 96. Of this amount, approximately 65 percent is about the principal and penalties of bank facility loans, which since Shahrivar 96, one and a half years have passed, penalties have been added, but until the end of Shahrivar 96, the amount of these penalties, principal and interest of these bank facilities was approximately 19 thousand and 65 billion tomans.”
To these items, “we must also add participation bonds that were previously presented and by Shahrivar 96 their value was approximately one thousand billion tomans. The rest is also related to the remaining obligations of affiliated organizations and subsidiary companies that committed beyond budgetary agreements.” The figure that Sakina Ashraafi is referring to is approximately three thousand and 664 billion tomans.
The former mayor of Tehran has been severely criticized for the billion-toman debts he left from his tenure. Qalibaf said a few days ago in a television program: “Tehran Municipality’s debts were 16 thousand billion tomans, of which 14 thousand billion tomans are the municipality’s claims against the government.”
This is while Morteza Alviri, head of the Planning and Budget Commission of Tehran City Council, on Wednesday, the first day of Esfand (February 20), while rejecting Qalibaf’s statements, told IRNA that “only one item of Tehran Municipality’s debt to banks is around 30 thousand billion tomans” and “other debts of Tehran Municipality are separate from 30 thousand billion tomans of debt to the banking system.”
According to him, “Tehran Municipality owes at least eight thousand billion tomans to contractors, and this debt amount also relates to the period of Qalibaf’s municipality.” He added: “Tehran Municipality’s debt to other sectors, including individuals whose lands were purchased for the construction of highways including Imam Ali (AS) highway, is also separate.”
Morteza Alviri promised that the exact amount of Iran’s capital municipality’s debt would be announced by Tehran City Council within the next two weeks.
Widespread corruption in Tehran Municipality during Qalibaf’s tenure
In late Esfand of last year, the results of a study in Tehran’s urban management reported “36 sources of corruption” in Iran’s capital municipality. This research, which formed the basis for formulating a “strategic document to combat corruption” in Tehran Municipality, among other things, emphasized that “transparency and public disclosure of information” related to permits and transactions in the capital’s municipality could help reduce corruption.
The media coverage of controversial documents regarding the “astronomical” handover of properties during Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s presidency of Tehran Municipality further brought the issue of corruption in this institution to public attention. This controversial exposé, published in early Shahrivar 95, referred to the handover of several thousand billion tomans of properties to some city officials and some members of Tehran City Council during Qalibaf’s municipality tenure.
This exposé was conducted by the “Memari News” website. The website had previously reported on Tehran Municipality’s misuse of Luyzan Park during the wedding celebration of Qalibaf’s daughter. Following these exposés, the responsible director Yashar Soltani was imprisoned for approximately two months.
Criticism of widespread corruption in Tehran Municipality during Qalibaf’s tenure is not limited only to Yashar Soltani’s exposés, and many other municipal officials and city council members have repeatedly exposed the “violations” and “inefficiencies” of that period.
Mohammad Ali Najafi, the resigned mayor of Tehran, was one of these critics who, in his 100-day report on January 14, 97, referred to “widespread violations and mismanagement” in the period before his tenure. He said, among other things, that in late 95, a contract was signed between Iran’s capital municipality and Iran’s law enforcement forces, the money from which was spent on Qalibaf’s election propaganda.
It is expected that with Ibrahim Raisi at the head of the judiciary, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who in the last round withdrew from candidacy for the presidency, may again be a candidate for this position in the next election.
Source: DW
