All tagged debt

Iran's Government Falling into a Debt Trap of Its Own Making

◢ President Rouhani’s budget proposal for the upcoming Iranian year will see the government run a deficit amounting to about 10 percent of GDP or 60 percent of the state’s general budget, excluding oil revenues and withdrawals from the National Development Fund. Rather than increase tax collection to ease budget gaps, the Rouhani administration plans to tap Iran’s nascent debt markets to cover its public spending requirements.

Europe Can Use Local Currency Bonds to Sustain Economic Ties with Iran

◢ For over a year, European governments have been struggling to determine how they can create a financing facility for projects in Iran. But what if it is a mistake to focus on “external” finance? One underreported effect of Iran’s currency crisis has been the rapid expansion of liquidity in the market. In this environment, a local currency bond offered by a European-owned, Iranian-registered development bank would be highly appealing.

7 Charts That Challenge the Distorted View of Iran's Economy

◢ There is a growing sense that Iran has squandered its chance to join the ranks of the BRICs—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—which count as the great emerging markets of the world. As sanctions return, as the rial sheds value, and as protests become routine, Iran is increasingly portrayed as an economic basket case where state collapse is just around the corner. But comparing Iran’s macroeconomic performance with Brazil, another country that has contended with widespread protests and economic angst for over three years, paints a very different picture.