TEHRAN - President Ebrahim Raisi has noted that transparency is not an imported value into Iranian society, laws, and regulations, but rather is anchored in “our religion and Islamic tradition”.

In a speech on Sunday morning at the first national conference on promoting transparency, Raisi stated, “Transparency is not a principle imported into our culture and laws and regulations, but it is rooted in religious and Islamic culture.”

“In the constitution and related laws, it is stipulated that the people should be informed about contracts and agreements as well as economic and social activities, except for those cases where, according to the interpretation of Imam Ali (AS), there is a possibility of the enemy abusing them,” the president noted, adding that “in the system of the Islamic Republic, it is a principle that the people should be informed about the flow of information.”

Raisi highlighted the Islamic Republic's respect for individual freedom and privacy, saying, “The constitution respects the privacy of individuals, but other than that, what happens in the public space of the society. One of the decisions that is completely transparent for the country and the people, and the Majlis (parliament) in the Islamic Republic of Iran was basically born with transparency.” 

Emphasizing the necessity of transparency in the executive branch, the president noted that everyone should be informed about employment, work plans, progress, and qualitative and quantitative indicators. He continued, “Transparency can make competition real so that everyone can present their capacities for better and superior work and the opportunity for equal participation is created for everyone.”

He added that corruption will be prevented if openness grows. “Despite the fact that our laws frequently refer to transparency, it is also ingrained in our religious culture. In this regard, although a part of the electronic government work has developed satisfactorily, owing to the non-cooperation of several departments in joining the National Information Network, it has not been feasible to fully exploit this network.”

According to Ayatollah Raisi, the decision to move forward with a smart government was made early on in the administration because the e-government had not developed properly. He continued, “For the realization of the e-government, it is also necessary for all departments and all institutions to help, which fortunately good steps have been taken for the formation of the smart government.”

The president said, “There is no need to fear about transparent measures, and it even guarantees honest individuals that their work is under protection of the law.” 

Transparency not only has positive influence on the economy but also foster economic security and assist economic actors.

Raisi highlighted that openness is particularly helpful in reducing corruption, boosting public trust, and building social capital. 

If these controls and accountabilities are implemented throughout the course of work, it may also stop infractions from happening.

Raisi furthered, “No management should be apathetic about corruption. Managers must prevent even the tiniest corruption from taking root in their organizational complex. As the managers' finest helpers in this situation, the supervisors should be appreciated by the managers so that a problem is not kept from them.”

Referring to his repeated remarks that the Islamic Republic will never take corruption, he explained, “There may be corruption in a corner that will be dealt with, but if anyone thinks that a few reports of corruption means that corruption is comprehensive, this is wrong; it is not like that at all.” 

The president asserted that by taking preventative measures and dealing with corruption effectively, the enemy's attempts to cast doubt on the sincerity and value of the nation's institutions in the eyes of the general population are neutralized. “We must actually reassure the population that the administrative and executive system of the country is proficient.”

Raisi went on to say that “the law on the promotion of administrative health is one of the most efficient and beneficial laws for curbing corruption, and the country's executive and administrative entities are required to completely put it into effect.” 

In addition, the president referred to the government's unique perspective on the principle of transparency in the 7th development plan, saying, “In (his) popular administration, we consider transparency as beneficial to all people and to all administrative, executive, and supervisory bodies, and we believe that the realization of transparency is reassuring and trust-building for the people.”