Corona in Iran; 2.6 Million Jobs at Risk
The spread of coronavirus ahead of the Nowruz holidays has endangered many jobs and trades. The Deputy for Economic Affairs and Planning of Iran’s Chamber of Guilds stated that more than 2.6 million jobs in Iran have been negatively affected by coronavirus.
Seyyed Hamid Kalantar, head of Iran’s Productivity Association, also says “coronavirus is a phenomenon that has had no precedent in recent centuries” and while some occupations related to household necessities have flourished, others such as tourism and restaurants have declined.
The widespread outbreak of coronavirus before Nowruz shopping has alarmed government leaders, and they have opposed market closures and quarantine of cities and provinces.
Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran, on Sunday, the 25th of Esfand (March 15), following a joint meeting of the government’s economic headquarters and representatives of economic activists, said: “Economic activity must be normal and we should not allow any problems to arise in the field of economic activity.”
Rouhani also opposed any quarantine measures and said: “We have nothing called quarantine. The fact that it has been rumored that in Tehran or some cities certain shops and some businesses are quarantined, this is not true at all. There is no quarantine today, not during Nowruz, not before or after it, and everyone is free in their business and activities.”
Despite the opposition of Iran’s Islamic Republic leaders to quarantining the country and closing markets, there is no sign of the enthusiasm for holiday shopping in Iran’s markets.
Hoshyar Faghihi, Deputy for Economic Affairs and Planning of the Chamber of Guilds, criticized the government’s lack of proper planning regarding the guilds and said that there is no correct perspective on the guilds in the country’s planning system and macroeconomy.
According to Faghihi, more than 1.8 million licensed guild units play a role in Iran’s economy, and it is estimated that around 500,000 unlicensed guild units are operating. Estimates show there is a possibility of 2.6 million workers in guild units becoming unemployed.
The Deputy for Economic Affairs and Planning of Iran’s Chamber of Guilds further emphasized that guilds have their highest income during the holidays. He noted: “Guild profits are earned in two periods of the year; once when schools begin in Mehr month and once on the night of Eid. During these two periods, guilds seek to earn profits and cover and compensate for their overhead costs. In many sectors such as clothing or services like carpet cleaning, they increase manpower on the night of Eid so they can have sales proportionate to the market volume in the final month of the year.”
According to Faghihi, due to the spread of coronavirus, these guild units were unable to achieve their set objectives and plans, suffered damage, and faced problems in securing the capital needed to maintain employment and continue their operations.
Guilds expect the Rouhani government to rush to help them overcome the economic difficulties caused by coronavirus. The Deputy for Economic Affairs and Planning of Iran’s Chamber of Guilds has raised specific requests in this regard. He stated that the government should make decisions regarding the forgiveness of insurance and water, electricity and gas bills, as well as forgiveness in tax areas, and consider creating a credit line for affordable facilities.
Source: DW
