Gholamreza Tajgardoun, head of the Parliament’s Budget and Planning Committee, said Monday during a public session that the Seventh Development Plan was drafted to curb inflation, boost economic growth, improve social justice, and reduce the national budget’s dependency on oil revenue.

“At the time the plan was prepared, the country’s economy clearly needed a reorganization of its fiscal and monetary policies,” he said. “Chronic budget deficits, weak investment capacity, and currency market fluctuations were so interlinked that any meaningful reform required coordinated action among the government, Parliament, the Central Bank, and the private sector.”

Tajgardoun noted that despite persistent pressures, Iran’s economy still benefits from strong human and natural resources. “If these capacities are channeled toward building trust and economic stability, the path to growth and improved livelihoods remains open,” he added.

He acknowledged that economic sanctions, limited access to foreign investment, and imbalances in sectors such as energy, banking, and the national budget make achieving the plan’s 8 percent growth target challenging. However, he said, the government’s focus on faithfully implementing the plan’s directives across all sectors could accelerate progress toward that goal.

The lawmaker emphasized that while the first-year benchmarks were defined modestly, performance in the power sector has not been satisfactory. “If the current trend continues without strengthening executive measures, the energy sector may fail to meet the overall targets of the Seventh Development Plan,” he said.