Page 46 - IRANRptSep21

Iran’s central bank to inject 150 trillion into troubled auto producers
Central Bank of Iran (CBI) governor Abdul Nasser Hemmati has said that the national lender plans to inject Iranian rial (IRR) 150 trillion ($607.3mn at the free market rate, $3.6bn at the official rate) in loans into local auto producers Iran Khodro (IKCO) and SAIPA to stem losses they have suffered in the past year, Eqtesad Iran reported on January 31.
IKCO and SAIPA, part state-owned companies that are the two largest automakers in Iran, have haemorrhaged cash amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, which has seen car sales plummet and belts tightened across the country.
The loans are to be provided through a newly developed financial instrument known as “GAM” by its Iranian acronym, put together to support industry in Iran impacted by the pandemic and US sanctions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously ordered authorities to help the loss-making auto giants increase local auto output by 50%, including by pushing ahead with launching new car models.
Recently released production data shows that IKCO, SAIPA and third largest automaker in Iran Pars Khodro (previously GM Iran) together manufactured and assembled 730,787 cars during the first 10 months of the current Persian calendar year (March 20, 2020 – January 19, 2021).
According to the data, IKCO manufactured 388,094 vehicles, SAIPA 262,038 vehicles and Pars Khodro 80,655.
In the same time, the companies exported 1,300 vehicles to nine countries, including South Africa, Azerbaijan, Spain, UAE and Iraq.
Based on previous data released by the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade, 468,699 units (including cars, vans and trucks) were manufactured in Iran during the first half of the current Persian year (March—September).
9.1.3 Aviation sector news
Iran moves to bar flights from Russia due to fears of ‘mutant’ coronavirus strain
Iran charges 10 over Ukraine International Jet Airlines tragedy
Iran’s coronavirus (COVID-19) headquarters has moved to block flights from Moscow with officials anxious that passengers could be carrying a “mutant”, or variant, of the virus currently in evidence in the Russian capital, IRNA reported on June 20. Flights to Moscow are also to be barred by the move, which was expected to be activated within 24 hours.
A spokesman for the Iranian Aviation Authority referred to the Moscow “mutant strain”, but other reports have indicated the strain is the Delta variant, currently common in other countries including India and the UK. A steep increase in coronavirus cases in Moscow and other Russian cities has led to moves to decree compulsory vaccinations.
Iran's move comes as Turkey welcomes the restart of flights from Russia, which were banned by Moscow given a resurgence of the coronavirus in Turkey in spring. Russia is now said to be satisfied enough with the coronavirus situation in Turkey to allow Russian tourists to fly to Turkish resorts.
Iran presently has restrictions on flights to and from 39 countries due to the pandemic.
Iran has charged 10 officials over the crash of the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) passenger aircraft shot down in January last year, killing all 176 people on board.
Gholam Abbas Torki, the former military prosecutor for Tehran Province, announced on April 6 that the 10 have been "brought to responsibility". They would face trial to determine "the necessary conclusions" over the incident, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported him as adding.
46 IRAN Country Report September 2021 www.intellinews.com