Page 51 - IRANRptFeb22

services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are blocked in Iran.
One streaming platform already in operation on the domestic market is Filimo. It said in March that it was expanding its reach to other countries with Persian speakers, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
MCI, despite being the largest and oldest established mobile provider in Iran, has struggled to keep up with its main rival, MTN-Irancell, co-owned by South Africa’s MTN, which has invested huge sums in recent years into tech and e-commerce.
9.1.7 Healthcare sector news
Iranian insurers call for government help as coronavirus payout pressure mounts
The Iranian Insurers’ Organisation—an industry lobby group—has requested financial support from Iran’s government as it contends with the country’s growing death toll from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to Donyaye Eqtesad.
Insurance companies, call centres and secondary agents in offices around the country suspended much of their work given closure notices issued by the government as the outbreak worsened, but following their return to operation they have found themselves buckling under the weight of applications and payouts.
Some 400,000 people are employed in the insurance sector in Iran, a country of 83mn. The industry is now facing a perfect storm of policy auto-renewals together with payouts, despite not being able to raise the base prices of policies.
The medical and life insurance segments have reportedly taken the biggest hits in recent days, with huge payouts becoming due.
Also, unemployment benefit, which is backed by insurance, has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with some 600,000 people officially laid off as a consequence of the economic effects of the pandemic in Iran. Earlier, as part of preparations to deal with the outbreak, insurance companies were told by Central Insurance of Iran to recapitalise and meet new minimum liquidity rules ahead of the impending payout surge.
The government in 2017 set IRR2.5 trillion ($65.18mn at the official exchange rate) as the minimum capital requirement for starting a reinsurance firm and IRR1tn as the requirement for starting an insurance firm.
9.1.8 Agricultural sector news
Iran ‘orders immediate rice, potato imports after emergency meeting on soaring prices’
The Iranian government has ordered immediate imports of rice and potatoes to help tackle rising food prices on the domestic market, Press TV reported on February 3.
Iran’s Food Security Headquarters, a government department controlled by the agriculture ministry (MAJ), reportedly ordered shipments of 200,000 tonnes of rice and 100,000 tonnes of potatoes following an emergency meeting. Annual inflation is running at slightly more than 40% in Iran but there have been local reports of certain essential food items subject to inflation of much more than that figure.
MAJ spokesman Alireza Rezazadeh was reported as saying that the imports were ordered to comply with a decree issued by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on fighting goods hoarding and the overpricing of food.
Rice shipments would gradually arrive from India, Pakistan and Thailand over the next two months, he was also reported as saying.
Iran has not imported potatoes for many years. Potatoes are produced
51 IRAN Country Report February 2022 www.intellinews.com