Rouhani: Non-oil Exports, Imports To Reach $100b This Year

Tehran, Oct 14, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani Monday night said the government has harnessed inflation and at the same time has come out of the recession. “I congratulate the nation on this great economic victory as it is the work of the people. Was it not for the people’s optimism and presence in the economy we would not be able to make such an achievement.” Speaking in a nationwide TV interview, the president outlined the government’s achievements in different economic areas and said statistical figures on export-import in the first half of the current year confirm such an achievement. He said in the first six months of the current year (started March 21) imports amounted to $26 billion and exports to $23 billion making a total of about $50 billion of export and import of non-oil products. He expressed hope that the figure will increase to about $100 billion by the yearend. “In the past six months liquidity has moved in a right direction, first towards Stock Exchange and then to the banks. Today, banks can more freely grant facilities so that facilities in the first five months of the current year increased by 40.5% as compared to the same period last year and the main part of the facilities were granted as working capital.” Stressing that the sharp growth in inflation has been harnessed, Rouhani said this did not mean that there was no inflation. “If we pay attention to statistics in this regard we can realize that prior to the 11th government inflation rate used to be 3 to 5 percent on monthly basis but in our government the growth was maximum 1 percent instead of 3 and in some months it was even below 1 percent.” /end