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TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says as the imposition of sanctions on Iran has happened gradually a lifting of them entails enough time.
 
The president made the remarks in Tehran on Monday in a meeting with MPs representing Fars Province in the parliament.
 
Rouhani also said his government dearly needs the support of the Leader, people, and the parliament in its efforts to lift the sanctions that he described them as “complicated”.
 
He further said that the parliamentarians have right to express their views about the government’s performance in nuclear negotiations. However, he said, his administration expects the Majlis to abide by the guidelines set by the Supreme Leader and support the negotiating team.
 
Iran will resume negotiations with the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in Geneva on Thursday on the dispute over its nuclear program.
 
40 percent rise in inflation is due to Mehr housing project
 
Rouhani also said that based on the studies carried out by the central bank and the ministries of economy and housing about a 40 percent rise in inflation lies with the Mehr housing project.
 
He said the reason for this hike is that the no money had been allocated for the project in the annual budget plan and the government put a pressure on banks to fund the project and this led to the injection of money into the market. 
 
He also said the government is making efforts to bring down the inflation rate, which currently stands at about 40 percent, to 30 percent by the end of the current calendar year and then lower it to below 30 percent in the new calendar year. 
 
The current Iranian years ends on March 20, 2104.
 
The president also said he did not believe that the economic growth had stagnated to -5.8 percent in the last Iranian calendar year which ended on March 20, 2012.
 
“According to the statistics the economic growth in the country last year reached -5.8 percent… and this was not predictable and believable for me.”
  http://www.tehrantimes.com