Tehran, Nov 1, IRNA � President Hassan Rouhani said his government is eying 5 percent growth rate by the end of current Iranian year (to end March 20, 2017).

Addressing the Tuesday morning session of the Iranian parliament, he said statistics confirm the transparent and vivid policies taken by his government to improve the negative growth rate from the minus 6.8 percent in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (started March 20) to the present 4.4 percent.

However, he said, the government is eying a 5 percent growth by the end of the year.

Acknowledging shortcomings in employment sector of the government�s activities, he highlighted the unprecedented growth rate in youth employment during spring this year and said his cabinet is working hard to further activate small and medium size production units to encourage more employment.
President Rouhani noted that just like the growing growth rate indicates that macro-economy policies have been properly devised, the improving situation of Iran in the world shows that the policy of constructive interaction with the world which has been at the heart of the country�s macro policies is a correct and wise decision.

Now, he said, Iran is free to decide the volume of its oil exports because the wall they had built around the country by imposing sanctions is removed and no one is dictating the nation not to sell more than one million barrels of oil per day so it can sell two or three million more barrels if it chooses to.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president said those who keep questioning the outcomes of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) should be aware that the document has opened routes before the nation in exports, imports, selecting customers and kind of the commodities it desires.

He said those who used to propagate Ironophobia are now diminishing in number and the public opinions are making fun of such remarks instead of believing them.

He said there come new openings before the nation like in banking relations everyday because of the JCPOA.

Turning to the JCPOA achievements in nuclear technology areas, he said a short while ago Iran was not allowed to import even one gram of yellow cake, now it can do it in the scale of one hundred tons.

Once they said the output of Natanz nuclear site is illegal and has to be destroyed and even dismantled but now Iran is free to sell the facility�s productions with pride, he added.

President Rouhani also noted that Iran is now selling its once-banned heavy water to the US and Russia in cash and believed this was a national pride which was achieved thanks to the Supreme Leader�s wise guidelines and the efforts of diplomats.

Noting that Iran�s non-oil exports has now surpassed its import volume, he said the major part of the country�s budgeting need is now met not by oil revenues but non-oil incomes.

President Rouhani further stressed the fact that the Zionist regime and some low-intelligence countries in the region like Saudi Arabia are angry with Iran proves the wisdom of Iran�s policies.

The president went to the parliament Tuesday morning to take part in its confidence vote session for three proposed ministers.

The parliamentarians are to cast their votes for or against the ministers proposed by President Rouhani to take over ministries of Education, Culture and Islamic Guidance and Sports and Youth Affairs.

He has proposed Reza Salehi Amiri for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Masoud Soltanifar for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh Ashtiani for the Ministry of Education.

Ali Jannati, Mahmoud Goudarzi and Ali Asghar Fani served in the posts respectively before their resignation.

By IRNA