Minister Prioritizes Completion of Transit Corridors, Highlights Regional Cooperation

TEHRAN (Iran News) Sadegh stated, “The completion of transit corridors should have happened much earlier, but it’s not too late even now.” She pointed out that China still views Iran as a faster, cheaper, and shorter transit route for goods, a factor that has encouraged Turkey to deepen ties with Iran. “Developing border terminals is also among our priorities,” she added.

In the past five months, the ministry has ramped up engagement with neighbors through joint commissions, webinars, and invitations to visit Iran, focusing on borders, terminals, and regional connectivity. Addressing a recent issue faced by Iranian truck drivers at the Turkish border over the “full fuel tank” policy, Sadegh praised the role of provincial governors, particularly West Azerbaijan Governor Rahman Rahmani, whose efforts bolstered Iran’s negotiating position with Turkish officials.

“Despite energy imbalances, sanctions, and potential escalation of restrictions, transportation and transit remain a fundamental solution,” she said, urging preparations to facilitate this sector. Sadegh highlighted that connecting transit roads to borders and railways would drive development and wealth creation, calling on governors to advocate this vision to the government, parliament, and judiciary.

Sadegh acknowledged requests for cash funding amid energy shortages and other challenges but noted the complexity of disbursing funds late in the fiscal year (month 12 of the Persian calendar, nearing Nowruz). She cited obligations like payments to wheat farmers and nurses—debts inherited from previous administrations—explaining that even funds from revenue-cost companies had been redirected to farmers. “Allocating funds isn’t something I can simply order; the resources must exist,” she said, noting that provinces have so far received bonds rather than cash.

She revealed that 8 trillion tomans from her ministry’s budget went to the Planning and Budget Organization, with a quarter allocated to parliament. With provinces juggling projects at 5% to 95% completion, Sadegh instructed her team to list road projects needing less than 20 kilometers to finish—some lingering for 5 to 25 years. Completing these alone requires over 500 trillion toman nationwide.

Sadegh urged governors to prioritize projects and not tie asset monetization solely to her ministry’s properties. She encouraged them to leverage assets from other entities with a “fatherly perspective,” citing Alborz province as a success story where monetized land is funding a highway. “Governors should submit their monetization and project priorities to us,” she said.

On housing, Sadegh referenced the Seventh Development Plan and the Housing Production Leap Law. Approximately 1.8 million people have registered over recent years, meeting eligibility criteria, with 800,000 securing initial payments. In recent months, 60,000 more projects were linked to bank loans, bringing the total to 430,000, though 400,000 remain unfunded. After talks with the Central Bank, loan quotas were assigned to banks, and Sadegh urged governors to monitor banks’ compliance.

Housing preparation, she explained, is split between her ministry (one-third), the Ministry of Energy and regional water companies (one-third), and governorates (one-third). Citing a completed single-story housing project in Tabas lacking water, she said, “We won’t inaugurate it without water.” In some areas, land preparation costs 5 to 10 times the land’s value, which she deemed wasteful. “In some cases, buying homes would be cheaper,” she added.

Under the Population Youth Law, securing land has proven difficult in some provinces. Sadegh stressed that only land with clear boundaries should be allocated. While land swaps with contractors were previously barred, the 2025 budget now allows it, promising relief.

Of the 800,000 funded housing projects, over 300,000 belong to higher-income deciles (8–10), requiring prioritization for the rest. “Not everything can hinge on the budget; provinces must act creatively,” she said, pledging to delegate authority if needed. She also addressed land shortages in free trade zones, noting a new agreement with the Free Zones High Council to streamline monetization and other processes.

The Minister also warned non-compliant airlines: If they increase airfare prices arbitrarily and without regulation, their licenses will be revoked.

The issue of airfare prices was one of the topics discussed in the second meeting to review the 1404 (2025) Nowruz travels at the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.

In this meeting, Sadeghcriticized the unregulated increase in airfare prices and called for serious action against non-compliant airlines. She stated: “These days, airfare prices have become outrageous, and some airlines increase prices whenever they decide.”

She continued: “While we had an agreement with airlines to keep fuel prices under control so they wouldn’t rise, they have still raised ticket prices.” The Minister of Roads and Urban Development said: “Given the recent resolution of the Consumer Protection Task Force, we must intervene in airfare pricing, and if they cannot prevent the price increases, their licenses will be revoked.” She added: “In this case, compliant airlines will be encouraged, and the public will understand that our supervision is not just about issuing notices and giving verbal warnings.”