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Putting the MPO on the "Right Track"
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Amir Mansour Borgheie was introduced as the new chairman of
the Management and Planning Organization (MPO) in an induction ceremony held in
the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Borgheie will succeed Farhad
Rahbar as the head of the MPO which is in a chaotic situation as it looks to
implement a new mechanism for changing next year’s budget. The media, including
economic reporters, were barred from attending the induction ceremony.
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In the past twenty-seven years "a great deal has been done at
the organization [MPO]," yet, it is time to put it "back on track."
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In his introductory remarks, President Ahmadinejad emphasized
that the Iranian nation expects officials to take great leaps towards
development, adding, that "one of the main steps in this regard is to reform
administrative structures and procedures because if the output of this system is
low, it would not be able to carry a heavy burden." Stressing the need for
having a fast administrative structure capable of making decisions, he said,
"Our planning system should be attuned to the Twenty-Year Perspective Plan and
allow the greater participation of the people in order to realize its goals. We
need an administrative system whose decisions will be implemented in the
shortest possible time."
The President called for the eventual reform of the
administrative structure. "The onus for doing this should be shouldered by the
Management and Planning Organization since it is at the core of planning and
supervising plans and is a useful aid to the president since it can embark on
planning on behalf of the President in many instances," he added.
Ahmadinejad went on to say that the MPO should become more
transparent and refrain from the execution of policy. He emphasized that the
Management and Planning Organization "is no place for executive affairs, rather
it should focus on the future of the country." The President also mentioned that
in the past twenty-seven years "a great deal has been done at the organization,"
yet, it is time to put it "back on track."
Being at the Helm:
Farhad Rahbar, the departing chairman of the Management and
Planning Organization stated that the organization should be the economic
"commander" of the country and expressed hope that the incoming chairman,
Mansour Borgheie, will keep the organization powerful. Rahbar also called for a
revision of economic planning in the country. In this light, he highlighted Note
13 of this year’s budget act as a "revolutionary step" with regard to budget
planning in Iran. He stated that they intend to include rationalization of
subsidies, provisions of housing for the youth and job creation plans in the
next year’s budget.
The former chairman of the MPO pointed out that the
organization was allocating credits in next year’s budget according to reports
on ongoing and developmental projects. Allocating operational budgeting giving
priority to transparency and formulating annual plans are among other steps that
have been taken in Iran over the past year. Moreover, a comprehensive land
survey plan is another initiative "part of which has been carried out
completely." Rahbar also stated that the "needed mechanism has been provided to
the new head of the organization" for a smooth and easy transition.
"I Have Come to Learn":
In his first speech as the new chairman of the Management and
Planning Organization, Mansour Borgheie thanked the President for choosing him
for the office and also praised the constructive criticism which was promoted at
the organization during the time of his predecessor, Farhad Rahbar.
Borgheie mentioned that the MPO can have the highest effect
on people’s lives since "using a common language we can discuss many topics with
regard to governance, relations to executive bodies, ministries and so on." In
his closing remarks at the induction ceremony, the new chairman of the MPO said
that he is very happy to have been given the opportunity to work at a place
which is a "gravitation center" for decision-making in the country and where he
can "learn a lot."
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