Ahmadinejad backs his plans for cutting subsidies

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the cutting of government subsidies and the laws related to it are designed in order to attain greater social justice.

In a speech in Ardebil, he announced that the first instalment of benefits according to the new regulations will be deposited in people’s accounts by next week.

Iranian parliament has approved the law to cut the exorbitant government subsidies that held the price of living staples such as energy and food down, and instead to extend monthly benefits to needy families.

Ahmadinejad maintained: “The government wants to put everyone’s due in their own pocket so they can manage their own rights.”

He added: “It shouldn’t be thus that some take 30 times more than the rest and others get nothing.”

He announced that in a television interview in the coming week, he will describe the details of the upcoming changes to the government subsidies in Iran.

The cutting of subsidies has been delayed since March due to disputes over its details between the parliament and Ahmadinejad.