Iran's parliament speaker raised an interesting point on Sunday: the proposed 20% salary bump for public sector workers in next year's budget might need recalibration. Why? Simple—it's not keeping up with actual inflation and real living costs on the ground. The gap between nominal wage increases and actual purchasing power is a classic problem we see play out globally. When salaries rise but can't match inflation rates, workers lose real income despite getting raises. It's a reminder of how macroeconomic pressures ripple through government budgets. For those tracking currency movements and economic instability indicators, these kinds of fiscal policy debates are worth watching—they often signal deeper inflationary trends and policy challenges ahead.