Rouhani’s budget transparency stokes Iran unrest

Rouhani’s budget transparency stokes Iran unrest:

"When President Hassan Rouhani unveiled this year’s budget his intention was to shine a spotlight on state funding for institutions under the influence of his hardline opponents. Instead, his attempt at transparency inadvertently stoked public anger that helped trigger the biggest anti-regime protests in almost a decade. As disgruntlement festered over rising living costs and complaints that Mr Rouhani had failed to back his promises of reform grew louder, the budget exposed the large amounts of taxpayers’ cash allocated to religious institutions and other entities affiliated to factions within the Islamic regime. One example picked up on by Iranians was the 31.1trn rials ($853m) proposed for about a dozen institutions that promote Islam and the ideological foundations of the Islamic regime. This was a nominal increase of 9 per cent on the previous year and almost the equivalent to the amounts earmarked for the foreign and culture ministries. "



'via Blog this'