TEHRAN – Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Ministry, on Monday, unveiled new digital monetary services including electronic promissory notes, as well as some digital facilities and credits, IRNA reported.

The unveiling ceremony was held at the place of the ministry and had the Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad Dejpasand in attendance.

Speaking in the ceremony, Dejpasand emphasized the importance of digitalization, especially in the current situation in which the world is wrestling with the coronavirus pandemic, and noted that achieving a smart economy is a very important step in realizing the goals of the country's development plans.

The coronavirus pandemic has presented an opportunity for the acceleration of the digitalization process for various aspects of the economy, Dejpasand said.

He mentioned the pursuit of the smart economy as one of his priorities in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, saying: “The transformation of the information technology office into a smart economy center was implemented, to achieve a smart economy.”

The official announced the formation of a think tank in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs whose task is to follow up on the process of smartening the economy.

He also pointed to the formation of the Information Technology Council in his ministry and said that this council will help achieve the goals of smartening the economy through a strategic process.

According to the minister, smartening the economy will lead to saving paper consumption and reducing the physical presence of people.

If there is to be sustainable growth in the Iranian economy, we must, on one hand, increase the capacity for foreign investment and, on the other hand, increase our production capacity; a smart economy can help us seriously in both of these goals, Dejpasand stressed.

EF/MA