Iran's Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Ahmad Meydari, announced that the method for determining who is eligible for the electronic food voucher kalabarg has changed. According to Khabar Online, under the new model households will be divided into three income groups, low, middle and high, based on income and asset indicators. The previous "decile" (dahak) classification is being abandoned.
The minister said data would be gathered from the Ministry of Economy, the Welfare Ministry and other institutions. He added that citizens' own declarations would also be taken into account and that the IT side of the process had been assigned to the Communications Ministry for the first time. According to Meydari, some households will receive the full voucher and some an additional 50% credit. Those left outside the scheme will not be able to benefit from this support.
According to Hamshahri, vouchers for supported groups will be increased by 50% from 15 Mehr (Oct. 7). The minister said financing would be determined by the Plan and Budget Organization and the central bank. Noting that about 50 million people in the United States receive free food vouchers, he stressed that such support is not unique to Iran. In the same speech, he announced that pensions in the provinces had been raised by 5% via an electronic wallet.
The minister's remarks on inflation expectations also drew attention. Meydari said expectations were one of the causes of inflation and that "the media should not fan this issue."
Context
Kalabarg is an electronic credit issued to households to buy limited quantities of certain staple foods. Under the price pressure created by the war and sanctions, it has become one of the government's main social support tools. Because the rapid rise of the dollar directly affects the price of imported food and inputs, the voucher's coverage and financing are becoming an increasingly critical budget issue.
