Khamenei.ir

The requirements of success in economic progress

The Islamic Republic claims that it has reconstructed the country and saved it from the backwardness of the oppressive Pahlavi era. And today every step towards scientific, industrial, and economic progress and towards reconstruction of the country is a testimony to the truth of the claims made by the Islamic Republic. But the measures adopted for economic development and reconstruction of the country will be successful only if they originate from Islamic thought and principles and are aimed at strengthening the ideals, values, and slogans of the Islamic Revolution. Only then will the reconstruction movement be a genuine movement guaranteed to succeed, and delusions of reconstruction will not lead the country towards a quagmire of dependence and financial, political, and moral corruption.

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Islam and economic development

Islam can bring about independence and freedom for nations. It can bring about freedom in [individual and social] life – freedom from dictatorial powers, superstitions, ignorance, prejudice, and intellectual deviations. It can also liberate nations from the economic influence and political pressure of the arrogant powers. It can bring about economic progress and welfare as well as social justice. Islam does not recommend the kind of economic progress that increases the gap between social classes.

Islam does not approve of the economic prescription that western countries present to the world. This western prescription increases economic prosperity and brings about welfare for some social classes at the cost of impoverishing other social classes. Islam can bring about economic welfare accompanied by justice as well as the spirit of equality and brotherhood.

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The need for an indigenous model of development

Within the framework of the Islamic Republic, a model of development should be a completely indigenous model, particular to the Iranian nation. This model should be appropriate for the cultural and historical conditions and legacies of the Iranian people and their beliefs and religious faith. We should not imitate other models of development – no matter if they are presented by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, or a particular country. Each context has its own idiosyncratic requirements. It is one thing to make use of the experiences of other people, but quite another thing to imitate the models imposed or induced by other people or countries – which are often outdated.

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Cultural groundwork for economic development

Economic development, in the appropriate sense of the word, requires adoption of cultural measures in society. Researchers will be useless to their society as long as they lack the sense of responsibility that exists in healthy cultures.

The solution lies in two factors: Sense of responsibility and social discipline. People should have discipline when serving their clients. All those who take on a responsibility should fulfill their duty in a methodical fashion. These two factors will bring about national dynamism and will get things done.

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Propaganda against the Islamic Republict

The arrogant powers are broadcasting negative propaganda against the Islamic Republic. Barely a week goes by without the foreign radio stations and TV channels – which are opposed to the Islamic Republic – saying that Iran's economy is in crisis and in decline. Of course to the aggressors and to those who want to exploit the national resources of Iran, our economy is in crisis. But to the Iranian people, Iran's economy is blossoming. What crisis do the Iranian people have to deal with? They are just building their country. Before the Revolution – under the rule of Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties – the people of Iran did even not dare say, "We can build the country." At that time, our country was an inferior vassal state whose statesmen were proud of serving superpowers – be it England, America, or Russia.

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The enemies' fear

The Iranian nation is eager to build the country, and the enemies are afraid of this. They are angry with the Iranian people for building their country. They know that if the Iranian people succeed in building a prosperous country and achieve material and spiritual success, other nations will be encouraged to tread the same path, which will seriously jeopardize the interests of the colonialist and arrogant powers of the world. This is why the arrogant powers continue hatching plots against the Islamic Republic. The eight-year war, economic sanctions, constant efforts to spread lies, and their support for anti-revolutionary elements are all aimed at preventing the Iranian people from achieving the bright prospects they have in mind.

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The duty of various social classes

If you want to make Iran prosperous, and if you want the people of Iran to achieve economic welfare, progress in various areas, political glory, social security, job security, and progress in research and spirituality, there are two points that you must take into consideration. People from all social backgrounds, especially intellectuals, are responsible in this regard.

First, you should join hands and improve the country together. Second, you should try to improve your own nafs [self]. "O believers, turn to Allah all of you, so that you may be successful." [The Holy Quran, 24:31] Success and salvation will be achieved through remembrance of God, supplication, and asking Him for assistance. It is not sufficient to practice only one of these points.

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The importance self-confidence in reconstruction of the country

Self-confidence of government officials is an essential value of the Islamic Revolution. In the absence of self-confidence, the foundations of the reconstruction movement will be shaken. All government officials, working in different parts of the country, should strengthen their self-confidence. They should reinforce the belief that the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation are able to achieve the highest levels of progress. Some government officials and civil servants may depend on foreign analyses published in scholarly journals. These analyses may attract so much attention that they may undermine self-confidence of those who read them. These analyses may discourage our government officials from implementing the plans that are based on their first-hand experience of the problems in the particular context of our country.

The educational system should try to strengthen our students' self-confidence so that they start to believe that it is possible to solve the problems of the country depending on their own understanding and analyses. Foreign journalists and analysts may say Iran should do this and that in order to solve the economic problems of the country. We should not be preoccupied with what they say. Of course scholarly analyses are always worth our attention, no matter which part of the world they are produced or who presents them. But we should not accept these analyses without question. Rather, we should critically evaluate them against the particular conditions of the country before putting them into practice.

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Economic consequences of the reconstruction movement

Some economic shortcomings are natural during the reconstruction era. This has been the case in all other places as well. These shortcomings are not particular to our country. The reconstruction movement may increase inflation and cause a large number of people to lose part of their pursing power. The government should redouble its efforts to solve these problems. The issue of inflation has to be remedied in one way or another. Persistent and serious efforts should be made to preserve the value of our national currency. Of course these infrastructural measures will ultimately pay off in the long run. However, we should not just wait for these infrastructural measures to pay off and ignore the short-term and medium-term solutions. For instance, preserving the value of our national currency is the key to solving many problems of the country, which can increase purchasing power of the working classes of society and increase their ability to fulfill their basic needs.

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Detrimental side effects of national reconstruction

Greed for material gains is more serious during the reconstruction era. Wealth accumulates in the country during the reconstruction era because this era brings about a period of increased economic activities. In such a situation, those who have a greed for material gains and those who prefer their personal interests to national interests are free to develop a tendency towards a luxurious lifestyle and accumulation of wealth by abusing the new opportunities provided by increased economic activities. The reconstruction era is a period for national progress and blossoming. But at the same time, this era prepares the ground for ideologically weak individuals to go after luxury, accumulation of wealth, and unlawful financial gains. Therefore, both government officials and the people should be cautious in this regard.

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Part two: The factors behind economic development

Labor

The quality of labor

Laborers should be given the opportunity to channel their efforts towards economic activities. They should be given the opportunity to produce high-quality products. It has been narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said, "God bless those who do their job seriously." Workers should be able to offer their labor to society in the best possible way. They should know that their efforts will be rewarded by God, regardless of whether or not their employers recognize the value of their labor or reward them appropriately. Of course employers should recognize the value of their labor and reward them accordingly. Making serious efforts will please Allah the Exalted.

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The value of labor in Islamic culture

Labor is highly valued in Islamic and Quranic thought. Of course labor is not limited to working in a factory or on a farm. Labor is a kind of righteous deed, which has been emphasized in the Quran. That is to say, when a laborer makes conscientious, serious, and innovative efforts with the purpose of supporting a family, his labor is considered a type of righteous deed. "Except those who believe and do righteous deeds" [The Holy Quran, 38: 24]. What is better than doing something that is one's source of livelihood? Labor is a kind of righteous deed, and righteous deeds have been equated with religious faith in the Quran.

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The role of labor in economic development

It is not possible to achieve economic development in the absence of labor. It is not possible to achieve anything without investment. But investment is only one prerequisite for economic development. The essential requirement is labor. The kind of labor that is not rooted in sympathy, competence, and perseverance cannot save the country. In the absence of such labor, the country cannot achieve an appropriate position.

Today the Iranian nation is after economic independence. The nation is after liberating its economy from its dependence on oil revenues. Our nation wants to manage its economy in a way that a decrease in oil prices does not affect the country. How is it possible to do these things? It is impossible for the Iranian nation to liberate itself from dependence on oil revenues without paying attention to the issue of labor.

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Laborers

Respect for laborers

The word "laborer" should inspire respect in society. Laborers are respectable because they work hard to help their nation and their country to achieve the glory of independence. Everybody should accept this as an indisputable reality. Everybody should be aware of the importance of the role laborers play in the country. The main portion of the responsibility for production is shouldered by laborers. The word "laborer" applies to all those who make efforts in order to help the country make progress, increase its production, and improve working conditions.

When the officials of an Islamic society express their appreciation for labor and laborers, their expression of appreciation should not be considered as lip service. There are some people in the world who claim to respect laborers. But there is a difference between those who shout slogans in support of labor in order to win support and those who consider labor to have a divine value. In Islamic thought, labor is considered to be a righteous deed that has a spiritual value. That is to say, in Islamic thought, labor is considered a kind of worship.

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The responsibility of the government towards laborers

Undoubtedly, one of the main responsibilities of the Islamic Republic is to give laborers their human and Islamic rights. Laborers play the greatest role in production and management of national economy. The government should improve the living conditions of laborers. If appropriate laws are passed, and if employment is boosted, there should not be any needy people in the country. Laborers are among the underprivileged people of our society, and they should be considered a priority when planning economic development. Laborers will work harder if their needs are fulfilled.

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The value of laborers in society

National independence depends on labor. Laziness and lack of attention to labor will not bring about any achievements for any nation or country. A lethargic society may use a particular source of income and have a superficially comfortable life, but such a society will not have any independence. An independent nation will not gain any glory except through labor. Labor is extremely valuable. That is how the Islamic Republic views laborers. The Islamic Republic believes kissing the hand of a laborer is an act that will be rewarded by God. Kissing the hand of a laborer is a righteous deed because this act signifies appreciation for labor, which is a means of national independence.

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Laborers viewed from capitalist, socialist, and Islamic perspectives

In capitalist thought, laborers are just a means at the service of employers. In the past, according to some degenerate schools of thought that claimed to support laborers, it was assumed that there was a constant war between laborers and their employers. They invested on this war in the name of supporting laborers. However, in the name of supporting the working classes, the so-called socialist system of the former Soviet Union gave rise to the kind of extravagance and financial corruption that are prevalent in capitalist societies. Their school of thought was a school of contradictions. These schools are not acceptable to Islam and the Islamic Republic. Islam and the Islamic Republic believe that establishing employment and entrepreneurship agencies is only one element [of economic development], and that manpower is the other element. These two elements are both necessary, and there should be cooperation between them. The role of the government is to balance this cooperation so that these elements do not work against one another. If this happens, society will preserve its health. In such a situation, extravagance will not turn into a cultural norm, and a particular social class will not suffer from perpetual deprivation. This is the philosophy of the Islamic Republic.

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Women

The role of women in the reconstruction era

In the reconstruction era, our nation and government officials make efforts to help Iran achieve genuine material, social, and spiritual reconstruction. In this reconstruction era, the main emphasis is on manpower. That is to say, if the people of a country want to reconstruct their country in the real sense of the word, they should mainly focus on their manpower. When talking about a country's manpower, we should be aware that half of this manpower consists of women. If we have an inappropriate view of women, it will not be possible to genuinely reconstruct the country on a large scale. Women should be sufficiently familiar with the Islamic view of women so that they can defend their rights by relying on the Islamic view. Similarly, all people of a society should know what Islam thinks of women, their presence on social fronts, their education, their social and economic activities, their political and scientific endeavors, and their role inside and outside the home environment.

When they notice a gap, Muslim women have the right to fulfill the responsibility they feel obliged to fulfill according to the requirements of time. For instance, if a woman wants to become a doctor, engage in economic activities, work in a particular scientific field, teach in a university, enter politics, or become a journalist, she is free to do so. In an Islamic society, both men and women are free to choose provided that they observe moral principles and keep a distance from members of the opposite sex. All Islamic works in this regard and all Islamic obligations that give equal social responsibilities to men and women are a testimony to this reality.

Like men, women should feel responsible towards the affairs of other Muslims, their Islamic society, and the world of Islam as well as global developments. This is an Islamic obligation.

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Women's economic activities

From an Islamic point of view, women are totally free to engage in scientific, economic, and political activities. If someone uses Islamic thought to prevent women from engaging in economic activities, scientific endeavors, or political and social activities, his actions are against divine orders. Women can take part in these activities if their physical capabilities and special needs do not create problems for them. They can engage in as much political, social, and economic activities as they can. Islamic sharia is not an obstacle to such activities. Of course because women are physically delicate, there are some requirements that have to be met. Imposing a physically demanding job on a woman is a kind of injustice to her. Islam does not recommend this, but it has not prohibited this either. Of course Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) has been quoted as saying, "A woman is a flower, not a servant." Imam Ali (a.s.) tells men that women are like delicate flowers that have to be treated with a lot of care. He tells men that women are not their servants, and that men should not impose their difficult duties on women. That is an important point.

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Economic activities of women from the perspective of Islamic sharia

From an Islamic point of view, there is no difference between men and women in terms of social activities – including economic activities, political activities, teaching, education, scientific activities, and making selfless efforts for the sake God. From an Islamic point of view, men and women should be equal in social activities and should enjoy the same rights. Of course because of women's physical characteristics, some activities are not appropriate for them. Similarly, there are some other activities that are not appropriate for men because their physical and psychological characteristics are not appropriate for those activities. This has nothing to do with whether or not women can engage in social activities. Responsibilities are divided between men and women on the basis of their capabilities, characteristics, and personal interest. According to Islamic sharia, if a woman is interested in a certain social activity, she should be allowed to engage in that activity.

From an Islamic point of view, it is wrong to prohibit women from taking part in social and economic activities. There is no rule in Islam that prohibits women from engaging in social and economic activities. On the other hand, Islam does not recommend that women should be forced to engage in highly demanding physical, economic, social, or political activities. Some men wrongly believe that women must have a job and earn money. Although this does not go against Islamic sharia, Islam does not recommend it. Islam has taken a moderate stance in this regard. That is to say, women are free to engage in economic, social, and political activities if they have enough time and physical capabilities and if they are interested. But it is not right to force women to accept a job and work certain number of hours in order to help support their family. Islam does not ask women to do these things. From an Islamic perspective, this is a kind of imposition on women.

According to Islamic sharia, no scientific, economic, social, and political activities should be imposed on women. Similarly, it is not right to prohibit them from these activities. Women are free to enter social and political activities if they want to. Of course scientific activities are very good for women, and they are preferable to other types of activities.

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Economizing

The role of economizing in economic development

Economizing does not mean that we should avoid consumption altogether. Rather, it means we should use things in an appropriate and efficient manner and avoid wastefulness. Extravagance means using something in an inefficient manner. Inefficient and wasteful consumption of a particular product is the same as throwing it away.

There should be a balance in society between production and consumption. In an ideal situation, the balance should be in favor of production so that the surplus production can be used to improve the country. That is why avoiding extravagance in economic matters has been repeatedly emphasized in the Holy Quran. Extravagance creates economic and cultural problems. When a society suffers from extravagant habits, its culture will also be affected. Therefore, economizing and avoiding extravagance is not just an economic matter. Rather, it has cultural and social implications as well. Extravagance is a threat to the future of the country.

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Spirituality

The need for spirituality on the path to economic development

The Islamic Revolution was conducted to provide the Iranian nation with a spiritual life. A spiritual life is the same thing that the Holy Quran refers to as "a happy life" [the Holy Quran, 16: 97]. That is the outcome of this Revolution. A nation that has a spiritual life enjoys both religious piety and material comfort – including security, education, political glory, economic independence, and financial success. That is what "a happy life" means.

In some parts of the world, there is material comfort and economic prosperity, but there is no spirituality. In the absence of spirituality, economic welfare is useless because it cannot fight discrimination, it cannot create social justice, it cannot eradicate poverty, and it cannot eliminate corruption. After all, a country's needs are not limited to economic prosperity.

Take the American people for instance. They are successful in terms of their economic activities. Their GDP is high. They have made good scientific advances. Their factories are active. They are exporting their products to all parts of the world. Their income is good. However, the American nation cannot benefit from its economic progress in the true sense of the word. Why? Because spirituality and security are lacking in that country. As a result, suicide and juvenile delinquency figures are high. American children learn how to kill people from the age of 12-13. Their families keep falling apart. American husbands and wives cannot count on one another. Wives do not feel that they have a husband. Similarly, husbands do not feel that they have a wife. There is no such thing as family there.

Today even American columnists, intellectuals, and politicians say that the American society has been divested of spirituality. Why? Because religious faith is missing there. There is some degree of economic welfare, but not all Americans enjoy this economic prosperity. The huge national income is spent by a limited number of people, and other Americans do not benefit from it.

America is an example of a country that has material comfort but lacks spirituality. Building such a society is not what Islam wants. Islam wants to build a society that has both material comfort and spirituality, both financial welfare and religious faith, and both economic progress and spiritual blossoming. That is the "happy life" that Islam wants to build.

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Discipline

Financial and economic discipline

Economic and financial discipline means fighting extravagance. Extravagant expenditure and consumption are not at all a good habit, and they should not be confused with generosity. "Financial and economic indiscipline" is the only name that is appropriate for such extravagance. Those who are wasteful in their expenditure and consumption and do not pay attention to the limited economic facilities of their society do not have economic and financial discipline. Therefore, even if one's wealth is gained in a lawful way, it is wrong to spend it in a careless and wasteful manner. This is especially true of those who spend governmental funds. Government officials should seriously avoid spending public wealth on low-priority projects, even though they are necessary. They should seriously avoid spending public funds on unnecessary things. They should also avoid spending public funds on low-priority projects when there are high-priority things to be done.

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Oil revenues

Shutting down oil wells

I heartily wish that Iran will one day shut down its oil wells and will base its economy on non-oil products, pretending that it has no oil resources. Of course this wish may not be realized any time soon. That is because the enemies of Iran made such a big mess during the reign of the dependent and corrupt Pahlavi regime and made the Iranian nation so dependant on oil that it is not possible to realize this wish soon. But one day we should shut down our oil wells. That day the Iranian nation will be able to stand on its own feet without giving its oil to those who are exploiting national resources of other countries.

Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to do so. Instead of being used as a means of securing economic, financial, and political gains for oil producers, oil has currently turned into a lever for oil importers due to the treachery of some oil exporting countries and their cooperation with the international plunderers.

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The need for an economy that is based on non-oil products

The Iranian nation and its economy must stop depending on oil revenues because in the modern world oil revenues depend on international policies, the arrogant powers, and great international companies and plunderers. In fact, they have full control over oil. Whenever they want, they can regulate oil prices by decreasing or increasing production of oil. It is the oil-rich countries that produce oil, but oil policies are determined by other countries!

It is not possible to purge the economy of its dependence on oil revenues in a few years' time. This has to be done in a gradual manner. It is necessary to build such an economy so that government officials of the country are not forced to sell the Iranian nation's oil reserves in order to import wheat or milk powder! It is not right to sell oil in order to manage the country and provide services and education for the Iranian people. This was a fundamental mistake that was made by the Pahlavi regime. This was one of the numerous betrayals of the Pahlavi regime. The Pahlavi regime made our economy dependant on oil, and it is not easy to transform this oil-based economy now.

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Policy-making

Paying attention to low-income people in economic policy-making

When the government wants to carry out a project, vulnerable members of society are made to suffer from the preliminary measures to the time the project reaches its goals. This is an obvious shortcoming in the economic plans that are prepared by the government. This is completely tangible. It takes time before the economic policies of the government reach their goals and a balance is made between supply and demand. It may take time before everybody can benefit from the results. But there are some people who suffer during this period of time.

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Management

The role of dedicated managers in economic development

Islamic Iran can give rise to an appropriate economic blossoming. Some people wrongly believe they it is not possible to solve the problems and make progress. This is rooted in their lack of self-confidence. It is possible to solve many of the problems through efficient management that is accompanied by a sense of commitment and innovation. The Islamic Republic has been successful whenever we had dedicated, faithful, and sympathetic managers who acted wisely and were committed to the people and the Islamic Republic. Due to efficient management, Iran managed to achieve good progress in some of the most advanced industries, an achievement that was once unimaginable for the industrialists of the country. Some foreigners and some of our enemies and rivals do not even want to accept this reality. But they will finally accept the reality because they can see the signs here and there.

Iran has made great progress in defense industries. During the war, Iran had difficulty manufacturing the simple weapons that the country needed. But today, due to the efforts of our dedicated youth and managers, some of the most complex weapons are being manufactured in the country, weapons that are not available to the countries which have far more experience in production of weapons than we do. It is not possible to monopolize industrial development. All potentialities in one particular sector will finally spread to other industrial sectors. This is true of other production sectors as well. Tens of dams were constructed in the country. In the beginning of the Revolution, one of our dams was leaking. At that time, some people suggested that we should ask the original European engineers to travel to Iran and fix the problem. But our dedicated youth, engineers, and managers have managed to construct tens of dams since then. Sympathetic and dedicated managers have to take on the responsibilities in the business, service, mining, industrial, and agricultural sectors of the country. In order to be successful, managers have to be determined, dedicated, and faithful. They have to be loyal to the Islamic Republic and fear God.

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Self-confidence

The important role of self-confidence in reconstructing the country

Self-confidence of our managers and government officials is a central value of the Islamic Revolution. In the absence of this self-confidence, the foundations of the reconstruction movement will be shaken. This spirit of self-confidence has to be strengthened among all government officials who are active in different parts of the country. They should firmly believe that the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation are able to help the country achieve the highest levels of progress. The biggest dam in the region – namely, the Karkheh Dam – was constructed by members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. I reviewed the dam several years ago when they were building it. I saw a quotation by Imam Khomeini (r.a.) written in very large letters on the mountainside there. The quotation read, "We can." Yes, we can.

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Reforms

The need for reforms in economic development

Reforms are necessary for the country. Reforms are an integral part of the Islamic Republic's religious and revolutionary identity. If reforms are not carried out regularly, the Islamic Republic will become corrupt and will deviate from its original path. Reforming the country is a religious obligation. In the absence of reforms, distribution of wealth will be unfair, the merciless new rich will dominate different parts of the economy, poverty will be increased, life will become tough, national resources will not be utilized appropriately, there will be a brain drain, and the country will not be able to appropriately benefit from the expertise of those who remain in the country. Reforms can prevent these problems as well as a host of other problems.

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Industry

National unity, a prerequisite for economic development

The industrial sector is the pioneer of economic development in the country. This sector should have efficient management and should attract private investments. Financial corruption of the officials in charge of the industrial sector will spread to the entire economic system of the country. Therefore, serious efforts should be made in order to prevent corruption in this sector. These efforts are a means of ensuring security for the investors who want to make a healthy investment. Of course all investments are made with the purpose of making a profit, and nothing is wrong with this. This profit is lawful. Lawful and unlawful profits should be distinguished from one another. Efforts should be made to prevent unlawful profits – the majority of which are rooted in the lack of commitment and different mistakes made by some officials and managers. Moreover, government officials should combat smuggling in the true sense of the word.

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National unity

The role of the industrial sector in economic development

If a nation enters economic arenas in a unified manner, it will make progress. Such a nation can make progress even if a war is waged on it. National unity can help protect the reputation of the nation. A nation can achieve all its ideals by relying on national unity. Discord, emotional distance, and pitching parties and individuals against one another will not benefit the country.

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