TEHRAN Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a letter addressed to President Mohammad Khatami Saturday gave the go ahead for enforcement of the general policies of the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan. The letter said these policies, aiming to administer social justice, promote religion, science, culture, security and economic welfare and enhance the country's dignity and creditability at international level, laid emphasis on people's contribution and served as a platform for development of the country.

Elsewhere in his letter, the Supreme Leader called on the president to guarantee implementation of the 36-point policy concerning the economic, cultural, social, political, defense and security sectors, in cooperation with the Majlis and members of the Cabinet under constant supervision of the Expediency Council. The economic section of the general policies includes: Directing all economic activities toward administration of social justice, narrowing the gap between the incomes of people from various walks of life and ridding the low income classes of society of poverty.

Establishing a comprehensive social insurance system to support the rights of the deprived and oppressed people, uprooting poverty and supporting public institutes as well as popular and charity foundations consistent with the religious and revolutionary principles. Curbing inflation, maintaining purchasing power of the middle and low income classes, supporting investment and creating jobs. Improving the taxation system in order to insure justice in collection of taxes, paying attention to production, investment in manufacturing sector, strengthening motivation among the public to pay taxes and increasing ratio of taxes to government income.

Developing rural areas and paying attention to villagers' standard of living. Creating job opportunities, making investments with an aim to provide employment opportunities, especially in areas of agriculture, processing industries and small and medium-sized workshops. Amending the regulations, which have created or will create certain monopolies in certain segments of economic activities, in accordance with the interests of the country. Giving equal share to the public, private and cooperative sectors in benefiting from advantages and information sources.

Honoring provisions of the Article 8 of the Second Five-Year Development Plan (1995-2000) which called for ceding the state-owned economic institutions to the cooperative and private sectors. Guaranteeing security of investment, paying attention to construction and honoring the wealth and properties gained through legitimate means. Compiling a comprehensive plan that would increase export of non-oil commodities while decreasing reliance on oil revenues.

Taking advantage of the country's geographical conditions especially for boosting trade. Guaranteeing food security and self-sufficiency in production of basic commodities by increasing domestic production especially in the area of agriculture. Improving the monetary system and the country's financial markets to maintain the value of the national currency, channelling financial resources toward investment in the areas of production and occupation. Observing national interests and principles of the constitution and preventing domination of foreigners in attracting foreign investment.

Providing training for workforce in various levels to make them efficient in addressing the needs of economic institutions. The cultural section of the general policies includes: Upgrading religious and Qoranic insight, consolidating the intellectual and practical values of the Islamic Revolution and confronting foreigners' cultural onslaught. Taking religious and political thoughts of the late Imam Khomeini into consideration in all policy making procedures and planning and giving prominence to his role.

Maintaining the religious face of the society and protecting its Islamic and revolutionary values. Persuading the mass media, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran's Broadcasting (IRIB), to keep healthy the public atmosphere, upgrade virtues and offer sound information and realizing general policies of development programs. Paying attention to promotion of talents, encouraging creativity and scientific initiatives, improving research and enhancing the scientific and technological potential of the country.

Introducing lofty culture and values of Islam and Islamic Iran to world peoples, informing the people about the personality as well as the political and ideological doctrines of the late Imam Khomeini, using the experiences of other countries, especially the countries sharing common bonds with Iran, in drawing up economic plans and identifying the factors which have led to their victory or failure.

The social, political, defense and security section of the general policies includes: Expanding and promoting the spirit of cooperation and public contribution and people's support for government. Paying attention to the youth, preparing grounds for their spiritual and scientific progress, striving for removal of their problems such as marriage, job and education. Strengthening family foundation as well as women's status in family and society, providing women with their religious and legal rights and giving special attention to their constructive role.

Giving priority to war veterans and granting financial and other cultural and economic facilities to them. Paying attention to order, rule of law, working spirit, self-sufficiency, saving, preventing extravagance on the part of people and officials and fighting corruption. Improving administrative system in order to enhance activities and efficiency, rendering more services to the public, guaranteeing dignity and living standard of employees, employing competent and reliable managers and insuring their job security, removing or merging parallel managements, stressing decentralization of the administrative and executive bodies, preventing and fighting administrative corruption and devising necessary laws.

Strengthening the inspection and monitoring system and improving laws and regulations in order to prevent any conflicts between the duties of the monitoring and inspection bodies. Conducting long-term comprehensive studies on the country's territorial issues based on security and defense considerations, economic efficiency, territorial integrity, administration of social justice, environmental protection and conservation of natural resources, maintenance of Islamic and Iranian identity and safeguarding cultural heritage, facilitation of internal and external relations of the country's economy and attention to development by relying on domestic resources and elimination of deprivation from rural areas.

Stabilizing the country's foreign policies on basis of principles of dignity, wisdom and by pursuing the following goals: Expanding bilateral, regional and international cooperation, preventing tension in relations with non-hostile countries, taking advantage of such relations to increase the national strength, confronting hegemony and aggressive measures in foreign diplomacy. Making efforts to rid the region of presence of foreign military forces, confronting unipolarization of the world, supporting innocent and oppressed Muslims and nations, bringing about further convergence among Muslim states and improving structure of the United Nations. Increasing the country's defense, security and disciplinary potential to deter and give crushing response to threats.

Guaranteeing national interests and social security, supporting foreign policy and enhancing peace, stability and security in the region using all facilities available. Giving serious attention to the government's sovereignty, improving public security and preventing and confronting social crimes and corruption by strengthening and bringing about coordination among the judicial, security and disciplinary institutes. Strengthening, promoting and renovating defense industries with an emphasis on research and accelerating transfer of sophisticated technology.

Giving special attention to the public's presence and involvement in the security and defense of country and revolution through development of Basij (volunteer forces) from qualitative and quantitative points of view. (IRNA)