Economists warned the government, Kayhan warned the economists

After sixty-one economic experts in Iran warned the head of government about the triple-digit inflation rate in Iran, the managing director of Kayhan Emruz wrote in his newspaper on June 13 that these economists intend to question the government's efforts. On Saturday, June 11, a letter signed by 61 economics professors was published in Iran. The signatories of the letter pointed to the increasing price of essential items and the record-breaking dollar exchange rate in Iran, warning of the consequences of the government's economic surgery.

This group of economists considered the root of Iran's economic problems to be non-economic factors and declared that the country's economic reforms depend on political openings and a more open governance environment, and that the Ebrahim Raisi government's policy of so-called "economic surgery" was implemented very hastily and without any prior preparations, and is only a temporary measure to solve the urgent problem of the budget deficit.
Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan newspaper and representative of the Leader of the Islamic Republic in this regard

However, in a note, the newspaper, while strongly criticizing the 61 critical economists, accused them of siding with the enemy and wrote: "Why is the text of the letter indisputably consistent with the stated motive of the agency's resolution, namely to disappoint the nation and question the government's efforts?"
Shariatmadari also called on relevant centers and institutions not to ignore such incidents easily and naively.

It is unprecedented for economic experts to write letters to heads of state in the Islamic Republic.
During the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 60 economists sent a letter to the then president warning about his economic decisions, increasing inflation, and the spread of poverty in Iran. However, instead of reforming the existing structure, the government angered the signatories of the letter and banned a number of them from continuing to teach and work at the country's universities.

During the presidency of Hassan Rouhani, forty economists wrote letters to the president, expressing criticism of the government's economic policies and asking him to reform his methods. However, none of these letters and warnings were to the liking of the heads of state, and they continued their economic policies without considering the opinions of experts.

Unlike in previous years, the latest letter was not signed by prominent Iranian economic figures such as Mohsen Renani, Farshad Momeni, and Abbas Shakeri, but by figures such as Mohammad Sattarifar, Hojjat Mirzaei, Behrouz Hadi Zenouz, and other individuals whom Shariatmadari calls "the founders of the status quo."

Source: Voice of America