Ahmadinejad-TV Address
President Ahmadinejad added, "The Government has surveyed the general status of the country's economy and the the roots of the obstacles for advancement, and today we have a e clear and comprehensive image of the problems and a proper work plan."
Ahmadinejad said that not achieving an economic growth rate appropriate with the country's potentials is one of the obstacles and deficiencies currently, arguing, "We make huge investments and enjoy a high quality and quantity of human resources, the country's top managers and administrative organs work some 20 hours a day, but the economic growth of our country is not constant and sustainable, suffering greatly from slightest shocks."
The President referred to the government's moves during the past two years in various fields, including those in different industries, arguing, "The country's economic growth was satisfactory last year, but it could have also been better."
Ahmadinejad emphasized, "The curve of the country's economic growth from 1998 to the present day shows great fluctuations and has never been growing constantly, showing incongruous growth in various sections, with no part growing parallel with the rest."
The president referred to unemployment problem as the country's economy's second major problem, saying, "We have been entangled with the unemployment problem for some 40 years and at least ever since 20 years ago, particularly for the past 20 years we have had two-digit unemployment rates, with the exception of a short period when the rate was below 10%."
Ahmadinejad pointed out that the entire plans have been implemented but the unemployment rate has not become a single digit figure and the country's work force does not enjoy appropriate opportunities, adding, "Of course we tried to decrease the unemployment rate to less than 11%, but this rate is not constant and has constant fluctuations."
The President said that inflation is our national economy's third major problem, arguing, "Inflation, too, has a 50 year record in our country and everyone feels it, while inflation has had a step by step fluctuation."
He reiterated, "In country's development plan efforts have been made to lower this inflation rate, but that has not happened and as a result we inject liquidity to the system in form of making investments, but the output is not satisfactory."
Ahmadinejad considered the main root of inflation in country's total dependence on oil incomes, saying, "The main source of the government's income is oil sales and ever since the victory of the revolution everyone has wished to decrease this dependence and lots of efforts have been made to reach that end, but still the major part of the state budget depends on oil sales."

The President emphasized, "Inflation is among the major roots ading to deepening the social gaps and depriving the government of the chance to devise proper economic plans, while creating problems for implementation of the government's various plans, and we therefore need to harness and decrease our national economy's inflation rate." 2329**2329