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President Ahmadinejad has
vowed to improve the lot of the poor |
The Iranian government has approved plans to offer share options to
low-income families, the country's official news agency IRNA has reported.
Under the scheme, millions of Iranian families could have the chance
to buy shares in state-owned companies.
Iran's finance ministry has been given two months to identify families who
could benefit from the scheme, which was agreed by ministers on Wednesday.
Investors would then have 20 years to pay for the share options.
Poverty concerns
The move would be in line with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election vow
to improve the condition of Iran's poor.
Despite huge oil wealth, the country suffers from high unemployment and an
increasing gap between rich and poor.
According to official data, 15% of Iranians live below the poverty line, although
unofficial estimates suggest that figure is much closer to 40%.
The share option plans are similar to a scheme put forward by the head of the
Tehran Stock Exchange in June.
Under those proposals, about 14 million families would be offered the chance
to buy a selection of shares worth about 100m rials ($11,044; £6,213).
Iran's stock market has struggled recently amid uncertainty over the new president's
economic plans and fears that the country could face UN sanctions over its nuclear
programme.
