(L.A. Times) President Ahmadinejad wants to slash government subsidies for food and fuel by $40 billion and take control of the savings. Rivals in parliament have agreed to half that amount.
At issue is not just who controls the money saved but also whose supporters gain or lose a slice of government subsidies. Critics suspect the president wants to use the savings to bolster his popularity with new giveaways and low-interest loans to mostly low-income loyalists while better-off citizens see their subsidies reduced.
Posted in Foreign Policy, Headlines, Iran, Middle East
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