President Defends Governmentˈs Performance In Banking, Financial Reforms

Tehran, May 26, IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday defended his governmentˈs ˈsuccessful and unprecedentedˈ performance in banking and financial reforms. ˈThe government is seriously determined to serve nation without any pause, solving their problems and removing impediments. Government today is firm in its resolve to reform the financial and banking structure with full strength,ˈ said the president in a speech to a group of municipal councilmen in the western province of Lorestan. He referred to inauguration of several development projects -- construction of roads, railway facilities, dam building, power and gas supply and economic projects as well as completion of Imam and Bandar Abbass ports construction on North-South corridor, the rail and highway networks, and rural development projects as examples of his governmentˈs successful record. He cited another example of the governmentˈs success in justice administration as the growth in annual steel production capacity to about 25 million tons from 10 million tons and the annual cement production to 84 million tons from 35 million tons as well as increase in national forex reserves to 55 billion dollars from seven billion dollars during his term in office. He repeated the governmentˈs agenda for fair distribution of wealth and support for the low income and poor class of the society./end