According to the Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, this strategic meeting aimed to implement a roadmap for preserving employment and physically rebuilding business enterprises, and focused on three key axes: “preserving employment,” “continuity of production and services,” and “strengthening the economic resilience of enterprises.”
The Organization’s efforts to remove obstacles; exclusive reopening of the “KAT” system
Masoud Nikafrouz, Deputy for Economics and Investment of the Kish Free Zone Organization, in this meeting emphasized prioritizing the concerns of trade activists and said: What we are witnessing today is a practical step to help businesses that have faced challenges beyond their control.
Referring to the Organization’s extensive negotiations with the government to facilitate Kish trades’ access to support resources, he added: The national “KAT” system (Comprehensive Entrepreneurship, Employment and Production System), which had previously been closed, was exclusively reopened for the island’s economic actors through the special follow-ups of the CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization so that the opportunity to benefit from these facilities is provided.
Nikafrouz also emphasized removing administrative bureaucracy and stated: To benefit from these supports, there is no need for administrative paperwork and submitting a request is possible only with the national ID and social security records. Our goal is for these facilities to reach the real applicants in the shortest possible time.
Details of support packages and emergency loans
Continuing the meeting, Gholamali Rahimi, Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Economy and Director of the Support Plan for Businesses Damaged in Emergency Conditions, explaining the details of the support packages, said: Our goal is to stabilize jobs and revive the employer-employee relationship. Accordingly, facilities equivalent to two base salaries (minimum 44 million toman) per person on the insurance list have been considered for businesses with a maximum of 50 personnel, which are provided online and quickly.
In describing other incentives, Rahimi added: In addition to these facilities, the payment of 30% insurance contribution (including employer and employee shares) will be covered by the government for 6 months to relieve the burden of current costs on businesses. Also, the interest rate of these facilities has been set below 10% and their repayment is planned with supportive conditions.
He also emphasized: The main basis for granting these facilities is the tax declarations submitted by enterprises on the www.mefa.ir system, and with the aim of accelerating the process, the usual administrative strictness has been minimized.
Private sector appreciation for the Organization’s follow-ups and the need to change the governmental view of Kish
In another part of the meeting, Rahman Sadat Najafi, CEO of the Community of Kish Merchants and Traders, thanking the coordinated actions of the Kish Free Zone Organization, said: These support facilities can, in the current situation, act like a remedy to improve the condition of many of our businesses.
Sadat Najafi, referring to the effective role of free zones in the national economy, called for reforming the viewpoint of governmental institutions towards Kish and added: Our expectation from the government and institutions such as the Tax Administration and banks is that they moderate contractionary policies towards free zones.
From briefing session to practical implementation; launch of the Ministry of Economy service desk
Immediately after the end of the meeting, the “Ministry of Economy Service Desk” began operating at the Kish International Conference Center. The first phase of this desk’s services was allocated to the communities of merchants, renters and single-brand owners and was met with enthusiasm by trade activists.
This service desk will host the island’s business owners according to the schedule below until the end of Thursday, 1 Mordad:
Wednesday, 31 Tir:
09:00 to 12:00: Applicants from the Investors Association and the Industries Syndicate.
15:00 to 18:00: Real Estate Union, Builders’ Assembly and Community of Hospitality Centers.
Thursday, 1 Mordad:
09:00 to 13:00: Hotelkeepers’ Community, Travel Services and Club Owners.
The Kish Free Zone Organization invites all economic actors to take advantage of this opportunity and complete registration and receive tracking codes for the facilities.