First Intl. Exhibition on Banking, Insurance and Customs Being Held in Tehran
Exhibition Center.
According to the Central News Bureau, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohsen Nourbakhsh and managing directors of Iranian banks attended the opening ceremony. While attaching special importance to the role of the services sector, he mentioned that manufacturing is the priority area in the first phase of economic development. But in later phases the service sector is the real engine of economic growth, he said.
The governor referring to the Comprehensive Banking Network Plan, added that a project entitled "The Payment System" has been designed whereby total payments in the banking network, stock exchange, and treasury will be considered within the framework of a comprehensive system.
He noted that the banking network is being developed in a way to allow users benefit from the banking services from their home or place of work. Nourbakhsh said, "State banks benefit from having a large network but other infrastructure investments especially in the communications sector do not adequately come under the sphere of the banking network, to develop it in line with requirements. Despite the shortcomings, the country's banking network has been able to take the right steps in upgrading services."
With reference to the importance of adopting up-to-date technology in offering banking services, he declared that one of the conditions to issue a private banking license is to be fully equipped with the latest technology in offering banking services.
A total of 76 companies from Iran, China, UAE, Italy, UK, Ireland, Canada, Greece, Austria, Korea, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Japan displayed their latest expertise in banking and insurance services, the stock market, financial institutions and loan companies, office machines, banking equipment and facilities, and industrial automation employed in commercial services.
The exhibition occupies an area of about 6,000 square meters and is open to visitors till September 9.