Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accepts the resignation of his health minister, Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi, days after the official announced his decision to leave the cabinet over budget issues.

In a decree on Thursday, Rouhani appointed Saeed Namaki as caretaker of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

The president also thanked the outgoing minister for his sincere efforts towards promoting the country's health sector.

Qazizadeh Hashemi stepped down from his post last week due to differences with the administration over health spending cuts in the budget bill submitted to the Iranian Parliament (Majlis).</s>By The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week. It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi’s…

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week.

It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi’s resignation on Thursday.

Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months as officials try to downplay the effects of renewed U.S. sanctions.

The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year’s, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The U.S. has restored crippling sanctions in recent months, including on Iran’s energy and banking sectors.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>In a Thursday message, Rouhani appreciated the efforts of Hashemi during these years as health minister and accepted his resignation.

Iranian President also appointed Saeed Namaki as the caretaker of Ministry of Health and Medical Education in absence of a minister.

Hashemi had handed in his resignation to Rouhani last week. According to reports, the main reason behind his decision is due to the reduction of health sector budget in the Budget Bill for the next Iranian calendar year 1398 (to start March 21, 2019).</s>TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week.

It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi's resignation on Thursday.

Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months as officials try to downplay the effects of renewed U.S. sanctions.

The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year's, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The U.S. has restored crippling sanctions in recent months, including on Iran's energy and banking sectors.</s>Iran's health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts as the country struggles with an economic crisis.

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that President Hassan Rohani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi on January 3.

IRNA reported that Hashemi had repeatedly complained of a shortage of funds in the past and about proposed cuts to his ministry in the government's next budget.

"I am not an impatient person, but enough is enough," Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi said in a video posted to the Khabar One news portal on January 3.

Hashemi's resignation comes amid a financial crisis fueled partly by U.S. sanctions that were reimposed last year.

The United States reinstated sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal, in which Tehran received international sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement has helped fuel a currency crisis and has increased food prices and inflation.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa</s>Iran’s health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts, the official news agency IRNA reported, amid an economic crisis wrought by the reimposition of US sanctions on Tehran.

 IRNA said on Thursday President Hassan Rouhani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, widely seen as the key official behind the 2014 launch of an ambitious plan for universal medical insurance sometimes dubbed “Rouhanicare.”

 Hashemi had repeatedly complained about delays in payments of budgeted funds in the past and about cuts in his ministry’s budget under the new state spending plans, IRNA said.

 US President Donald Trump reintroduced sanctions on Iran last year, targeting in particular the country’s lifeblood oil sector, after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal.—Agencies</s>DUBAI: Iran's health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts, the official news agency IRNA reported, amid an economic crisis wrought by the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

IRNA said on Thursday President Hassan Rouhani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, widely seen as the key official behind the 2014 launch of an ambitious plan for universal medical insurance sometimes dubbed "Rouhanicare".

Hashemi had repeatedly complained about delays in payments of budgeted funds in the past and about cuts in his ministry's budget under the new state spending plans, IRNA said.

U.S. President Donald Trump reintroduced sanctions on Iran last year, targeting in particular the country's lifeblood oil sector, after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal. The move has helped depress the value of Iran's rial currency and aggravated annual inflation fourfold to nearly 40 percent in November.

Last month, Rouhani presented a US$47 billion draft state budget with increased spending on lower income groups, saying the U.S. sanctions would affect people's lives and economic growth but not bring the government to its knees.

Despite the rise in the rial value of the budget, however, it is effectively worth about half of the current budget because of the recent weakening of the currency and galloping inflation.

In recent months, various Iranian cities have been rocked by demonstrations as factory workers, teachers, truck drivers and farmers protested against economic hardship and corruption.</s>Iran’s health minister has resigned, saying he could not accept any further cuts to his budget as the country struggles with a severe financial crisis.

“I am not an impatient person, but enough is enough,” Hassan Hashemi said on a video posted to the Khabar One portal on Thursday.

Reports that Mr Hashemi had resigned have been circulating for days, but on Thursday came confirmation on state media that President Hassan Rowhani had accepted his decision.

Mr Hashemi said he could no longer work effectively given the restricted spending limits proposed in the government’s next budget.

The ministry’s budget was significantly cut for the year beginning March 21.

The cuts were linked to an acute financial crisis caused partly by U.S. sanctions that were re-imposed in 2018.

As the sanctions have hit oil exports, it is not clear how much the state will earn from oil revenues in the future.

The U.S. measures have badly affected the health sector, as some medicines cannot be imported due to bank sanctions.

The sanctions have also put moderate Mr Rowhani under serious political pressure.

He has had to reorganise his cabinet due to pressure from parliament.

Many Iranians are also unhappy that the government is spending money in conflicts abroad – including in wars in Yemen and Syria, and in support of Palestinians – instead of focusing on domestic affairs.</s>As head of wealth management at First Calgary Financial, with its portfolio value of $500 million, Hyder Hassan understands money.

It’s an understanding begun early, at age 15, when he and his mother got jobs with a burger chain to support the recent immigrants to Canada. “I was a fry boy and my mom was in front.”

With his dad remaining in Pakistan to fulfil engineering contracts, Hassan worked, went to school, and ensured his younger siblings were fed and schooled.

“It was training me to be good at budgeting,” says Hassan, Calgary’s Immigrant of Distinction (under 35) in 2018.

His father eventually joined the family in Ontario and Hassan entered university for a kinesiology degree, ready for some “me time.”

But, unable to find engineering work, his father left. Hassan quit school to, again, support the family.

He worked nights for a photocopying company and days as a bank collections officer. “I understood people in those tough situations and tried to offer them advice and win-win situations. I got thank-you letters afterward.”

With his father’s return, Hassan joined banking full time and completed his arts degree (management studies) two or three courses at a time. In 2017, the University of Waterloo gave him a young alumni award, noting Hassan attained six financial sector designations — while volunteering extensively.

Hassan worked for a number of Canadian banks — each time achieving promotion and each time recommended by someone met along the way.

In 2013, Hassan and wife Christina (accepted at University of Calgary’s law school) moved west.

While he organized life here, Christina was in Uganda as part of her master’s in public health studies.

The suffering of mothers and children there led the Hassans, in 2013, to establish FullSoul (a recipient of humanitarian awards) outfitting African hospitals with more than 65,000 medical kits for safe delivery of babies.

In 2019, Hassan intends to “scale up” FullSoul’s effect, while doubling mentoring efforts to ensure kids learn financial planning.</s>TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president submitted next year’s budget to parliament on Tuesday, the first since the United States restored sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal.

The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year’s, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The Iranian rial has fallen from around 42,000 to the dollar a year ago to around 100,000 today.

The government plans to fund 35 percent of the budget with oil revenues, projecting exports of up to 1.5 million barrels a day at a maximum of $54 a barrel.

The opaque budget bill did not include a projected deficit or a reference to military expenditures. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran spends less than $16 billion on its armed forces.

The U.S. restored tough sanctions on Iran’s vital oil industry in November, but granted waivers to a number of nations allowing them to continue imports in exchange for commitments to reduce them over time.

President Hassan Rouhani said the sanctions have hurt Iran but will not bring the Islamic Republic “to its knees.”

He said the sanctions will mainly harm Iran’s economic development and its poorer citizens. The government is allocating $14 billion to import medicine, medical equipment and other necessities, slightly more than the $13 billion allocated last year.

Lawmakers interrupted Rouhani’s speech on two occasions to protest the government’s water policies. Iran is suffering from a decade-long drought, and water shortages have sparked protests over the past year.

The budget will be subject to changes during a parliamentary review lasting more than a month. The final bill must be approved by a clerical council.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Iran's health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi resigns in protest against a medical budget. His resignation was accepted by President Hassan Rouhani.