Budget Execution Report Reveals Corruption in State Currency Allocation and Astronomical Salaries of Iranian Government Officials
The 2018 budget execution report indicates the payment of astronomical salaries to more than 240 government officials and the receipt of state-allocated currency by certain individuals without importing essential goods.
Adel Azar, head of the Court of Accounts, announced on Tuesday, April 16, in an open session of parliament while reading his court’s report on budget expenditure for 2018, that 241 officials from executive agencies received salaries higher than the amount specified in the Civil Service Law.
Stating that the highest salary received by one official exceeded 53 million tomans per month, he said that these officials received a total of over 11 billion and 350 million tomans in excess payments. According to the Civil Service Management Law, the ceiling for net payments to officials is 23 million and 583 thousand tomans.
In another section of this report, violations regarding misuse of state-allocated currency are mentioned. Mr. Azar stated that in many cases, the recipient of the 4,200-toman currency that was obtained from the government for importing essential goods either made no imports at all or allocated this currency to non-essential goods such as ice cream sticks, toys, cat food, and dental floss.
A large number of individuals and legal entities who received state currency worth more than 4 billion and 389 million dollars imported no goods. For example, of 385 individuals and legal entities that received currency ranging from 10 to 50 million dollars, 212 individuals and legal entities totaling over 1 billion and 237 million dollars conducted no imports.
Other government violations in the budget execution report pertained to the transfer of state-owned companies. According to Adel Azar, of the total 894 cases of share, enterprise, and asset transfers with a value of 149 thousand billion tomans, 77 percent of transfers, instead of being transferred to the private sector in accordance with Article 44 of the Constitution, were transferred to non-governmental public institutions. He also referred to thousands of billions of dollars in violations and deviations in government auctions, including in pricing.
The Court of Accounts, which is subordinate to the Islamic Consultative Assembly, exposed this aspect of corruption in the Islamic Republic at a time when parliament representatives themselves are accused of widespread economic corruption. Various institutions, from time to time amid political rivalries within the Islamic Republic system, unveil each other’s corruption.
Corruption in the Islamic Republic’s government agencies has repeatedly been mentioned by domestic critics and U.S. government officials.
Recently, Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, tweeted about Islamic Republic officials, stating that instead of helping the people, they have been engaged in corruption.
In recent years, economic corruption cases in Iran have increased, and many of these cases involve government officials or relatives of prominent government figures.
Source: Voice of America
