Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he will run Iran’s Oil Ministry as a caretaker following his move to remove some ministers and to merge some ministries, the local satellite Press TV reported Monday.
“The Iranian government and Majlis (Parliament) have consensus on the Oil Ministry merger… I am the caretaker for the Oil Ministry,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
Last Monday, the cabinet ministers announced Ahmadinejad government’s downsizing plan to merge ministries of roads and transportation with housing and urban Development, energy with oil, industries and mines with commerce, and welfare and social security with labour and social affairs.
The decision to merge ministries was made based on a “legal duty” and “structural obligation,” said the Iranian president on Sunday, according to Press TV.
In three separate decrees on Saturday, Ahmadinejad dismissed Welfare and Social Security Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Oil Minister Masoud Mir-Kazemi from their posts, according to the 53rd article of the country’s Fifth Five-Year Development Plan.
According to the plan, the Iranian government is obliged to reduce its ministries form 21 to 17 to officially improve the efficiency of state administration.
