AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President announced, "A 1-million-toman credit will be allocated to 23 million households that receive cash subsidies, the installments of which will be taken from the subsidies".
Speaking on Monday at the session of the cabinet's economic board for evaluating the impacts of coronavirus outbreak, President Hasan Rouhani said, "25 trillion tomans of credit has been allocated for this purpose".
Parts of President Rouhani's speech is as follows:
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Dear people of Iran, I would like to say that in today's economic meeting, the general decisions that we made in the previous meetings regarding the aid that is being given to the people during these difficult times and during the economic pressure, were discussed and approved in detail.
It has already been said that three million people are deprived and under pressure, for whom we have considered a support package of 200,000 to 600,000 tomans in four phases, the first phase of which has been paid, and the second phase will be paid by the end of this month. And the next two phases will be paid in the same way in the coming two months.
We have considered an amount as a 1-million to 2-million tomans of loan for 4 million families who are also among the low-income groups; the rate of this loan is 4%, and this will be announced soon.
Today, we decided to allocate 75 trillion tomans in loans for these days; there are 10 categories that were under severe pressure during these days. The living of these people is under pressure, and we have approved to allocate an amount to everyone here.
Of course, these businesses are not all the same, and it was decided that they should be divided into two groups; those that are officially shut down by order of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus and were told not to operate and are still closed, because they are high-risk businesses.
Yesterday, I explained at the Task Force meeting that the reopening will be a step-by-step, gradual process, and people should be aware that reopening is not possible at once because of the conditions we have.
At the same time, our dear people must pay attention that wherever there is an opening, this does not mean that health protocols can be disregarded; all businesses and all those that operate, including in fields of production, distribution, and services the health protocols must be observed.
Of course, in the current situation, we cannot say that businesses will not operate at all for the long term; in the same sense, businesses will be closed, and in Tehran, these businesses will remain closed until April 19, except for those which provide people with food and health items.
In other provinces, those businesses that are going to begin their work from April 11 must observe those health principles, because our conditions are not yet the conditions to say that we should put aside the distancing principles.
As some experts express concern, if health principles are not taken into account, we may get into a difficult situation again; however, hospital facilities and medical facilities, as well as doctors and nurses, should not be worried; thank God, because of their dedication, facilities and equipment are sufficient and from today onwards, more facilities and equipment will be provided to medical centres.
Yesterday we had a brief visit to some of the manufacturing or knowledge-based sectors that are trying to meet the needs; in some cases, they have done very well; for example, they have done a good and valuable job in CT scan devices.
Universities and knowledge-based companies did a great job with each other's help; I asked a production unit about other requirements, such as the ventilator (artificial respiration device). The amount they announced would almost meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health.
So one part was that today we decided to allocate a loan for businesses that were under pressure because of coronavirus. The loan, as announced, is 12% interest rate and the repayment period is 2 years, and they are to pay it after some months.
There is a help to these businesses, as well as to our dear labourers who are under pressure.
Another decision we made today is about a credit that will be given to almost all families who receive cash subsidies, about 23 million households that receive a monthly subsidy, which is a credit of 1 million tomans to all these families. This will gradually be repaid over the next 24 months from the subsidies paid in the following months.
We have considered about 25 trillion Tomans for this, which was approved.
There is also a certain amount of money that is not in the form of credit and is in the form of payment to different classes.
We have deposited 5 trillion tomans into the unemployment insurance fund, and the money has been provided with the discussions we had today to pay the people who suffer from unemployment according to the criteria they have.
We have approved about 13 trillion tomans for managing coronavirus today, part of which will be paid to products announced by the Ministry of Health and to meet its needs. Part of the money will be paid to knowledge-based companies, and much of it will be provided for the needs of the Ministry of Health itself for its universities across the country that are in need now.
In this meeting, we approved that the First Vice-President hold meetings this week or next week for coordinating all institutions that are going to help people.
Our dear people know that today the whole world is in a special situation, even in countries where the economic situation is very good.
Of course, our situation is doubly difficult, we are both under sanctions and fighting coronavirus, so our situation is more difficult, but the government has made good decisions as much as it can, the institutions are all working, the benefactors are working.
Today, I also instructed the Minister of Interior to convene a meeting for further coordination among all those who are effective in this regard, such as transportation and other business. They will be told that they must work within the framework of health protocols.
In some cases, such as between-city transportation, where people want to travel, we have not yet announced these, we have to check and then announce at the right time.
So we have to work hard. God will help us in the holy months of Sha'ban and Ramadan. God willing, we will overcome these problems. Inshallah.
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings
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6 April 2020 - 12:15
News ID: 1023129
Iran's President announced, "A 1-million-toman credit will be allocated to 23 million households that receive cash subsidies, the installments of which will be taken from the subsidies".
