President Rouhani Elaborates on Supportive Measures for People, Businesses Harmed by Coronavirus Epidemic

Rouhani said on Sunday that the government and municipalities will give people and shopkeepers a 3-month grace period to pay tax, electricity, water and gas bills and banking loans.

Also, 3mln people who have lost their jobs for now will receive 4 supportive packages, he added, noting that 4mln families will also receive loans to compensate for their losses.

Meantime, the employers will have a one-year period to pay 3 months of premium for their employees, Rouhani said, adding that other approvals will be announced in the next few days.

He also said that talks are underway with the neighboring states to resume Iranian exports under strict health and hygiene protocols endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Iranian Vice-President and Head of the Management and Planning Organization (MPO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht had also announced on Saturday that the government has several plans to help low-income classes as well as businesses which have been negatively affected by the coronavirus epidemic in the country.

Paying $47-$142 monthly financial assistance to 3mln Iranians with stable income and $238-$576 loans to 4mln people who have received financial losses due to the epidemic, including workers and businesses are among those covered by the government’s plan, Nobakht said.

He added that the government has also delivered over $380mln to the national coronavirus campaign headquarters as well as medical sciences universities across the country to reinvigorate the health, hygiene and treatment system.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) announced earlier this week that it would be extending the grace period for the repayment of loans for 3 months to the businesses affected by the coronavirus epidemic.

The businesses included in the CBI’s plan are centers which produce, serve and distribute foodstuff, tourism-related centers, public transportation system, clothing-production units, confectionaries, cafes and sports and entertainment centers.

Meantime, all interest-free loans will be granted a 3-month-long grace period to repay.

Also, Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian has ordered the water and power distribution companies to give a 3-month-long time to their customers to pay their charges.

Meantime, many private owners of different shops, malls and trade towers across Iran have forbore from taking rent payments from their tenants for the last month of the current Iranian year (to end on March 19) due to the impacts of coronavirus epidemic on their businesses.

Iranian Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced on Saturday that the new coronavirus outbreak in the country has claimed 611 lives out of 12,729 confirmed cases of infection so far, adding that 4,339 coronavirus patients have recovered.