TEHRAN- Some 212.552 trillion rials (about $5.06 billion) of loans has been paid to 29,000 industrial units throughout the country during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22), ILNA reported on Saturday.

Of the mentioned amount, some 119.728 trillion rials (about $2.085 billion) has been paid by the banks and the rest was paid through production flourishing plan. The measure was to support small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) and also to help completion of semi-finished projects.

Sadeq Najafi, the managing director of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO), has previously announced that through supportive measures taken by the government, some 201 industrial units that had stopped their activity resumed their operation during the first quarter of current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21).

He also said that there are 84,000 industrial and production units in the country at present.

Referring to the 350 trillion-rial (about $8.13 billion) facilities with 10-percent interest rate allocated to the SMEs, the official said these facilities should be paid to the units that can continue their activity.

He also announced that 36 Iranian SMEs attracted above $2.3 billion of foreign investments during the previous Iranian calendar year 1396 (ended on March 20, 2018).

MA/MA