Leader Underlines Necessity for Iran's Further Progress, Development

TEHRAN,April 27 (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised the Iranian labors for their hard working and earnest role in the country's progress and prosperity, and reiterated that Iran should continue its development vigorously.
"Iran is clearly and definitely destined for progress," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian laborers on the threshold of the 'Labors Day' on Wednesday.

He also called on all governmental and private sectors as well as the ordinary people to be attentive to the requirements of progress in the current Iranian year (started on March 20) which was named by him as the 'Year of Economic Jihad'.

At the beginning of this Iranian year, Ayatollah Khamenei called the new Iranian year as the 'Year of Economic Jihad', asking the nation to make all-out efforts to accelerate the country's economic progress.

Ayatollah Khamenei also called for all-out jihad-like efforts by the Iranian nation and officials in order to pave the grounds for a decade of economic growth.

The Leader also praised the government's subsidy reforms plan and regarded it as the country's most important achievement in the previous year, noting that the plan expedited Iran's economic development.

On December 19, Iran began a long-awaited subsidy reforms plan after months of speculation regarding the timing or degree of the subsidy cuts.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced at the time that the launch of his economic reform plan is aimed at overhauling the country's economy by phasing out energy and food subsidies.

Under the plan all subsidies are to be gradually removed during a five-year period.