Page 33 - IRANRptMay20

8.1.6 ​Bank news
CEO of Iran’s Maskan Bank reportedly passes away with coronavirus
The CEO of Iran’s Maskan Bank, Abolghasem Rahimi Anaraki, has died after contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19), Fars News Agency reported on April 26.
Rahimi Anaraki was CEO of Maskan for several years after spending more than three decades at the bank, known as a mortgage provider. His previous positions at the bank included director of planning and deputy director of organisation.
Many people of note in Iran’s private and government sector have died after becoming ill with the coronavirus in the pandemic.
As of April 27, Iran had logged 91,472 coronavirus cases and the death of 5,806 people who were recorded as COVID-19-positive.
The official picture of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran is not thought to paint the true extent of the COVID-19 health crisis in the country, partly because testing remains limited. There are widely varying accounts of how much worse the reality is perceived to be.
Private sector hospitals are reported to be selling tests at Iranian rial (IRR) 5mn ($31 at the free market rate) each. Moreover, it is widely thought that the results of private tests are not included in the official figures, according to people spoken to ​bne IntelliNews w​ ho offered anecdotal evidence.
8.2 ​Central Bank policy
Iran’s central bank orders commercial lenders to provide 3-month ‘coronavirus grace period’ on loans
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has ordered all commercial banks to offer a three-month repayment grace period on loans to counter financial difficulties caused to people by the coronavirus pandemic.
Iranian businesses are losing millions of dollars a day due to the collapse of footfall in the country, with so many people staying indoors and not venturing out to raise their chances of not contracting the virus, also known as COVID-19.
The CBI took its decision following an approval given by the governmental Money and Credit Council to help commercial operators through the ongoing epidemic, which had claimed around 400 lives in Iran by the end of March 11.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO's) emergencies head Michael Ryan said on March 11 that the COVID-19 situation in Iran was "very serious". The WHO had sent 40,000 testing kits to Iran but there was still a shortage of ventilators and oxygen, he added. "Iran and Italy are suffering now but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation very soon," he commented.
Restaurants, buffet outlets, banquet halls and cafes were among the types of businesses mentioned by the council as eligible for the grace period. Hotels, hotel apartments, bed and breakfast businesses, guesthouses, and residential centres were others.
Loan repayment deferrals from March 20 will also be available to urban and suburban travel operators, including air, road and rail enterprises. In addition, seaports will be exempt from loan repayments for the awarded three months.
33​ IRAN Country Report May 2020 www.intellinews.com