In an interview with Eghtesad Online, Hussein Selahevarzi, an economic activist, discussed the challenges within Iran's banking system, particularly focusing on the issue of banks operating as holding companies. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, efforts are underway to eliminate this practice. The Minister of Economic Affairs has announced that "bank holding companies will be phased out within the next two years," but achieving this goal requires policies that prevent banks from continuing or intensifying this approach. Some economic analysts believe that in order to reduce the incentives for banks to engage in holding company activities, the government should bring interest rates closer to inflation rates. This is especially important given the difficulties banks have faced under sanctions and the accumulation of non-performing loans from businesses that took significant risks but failed to repay their debts on time.

EghtesadOnline: Reforming the ailing banking sector is one of the main concerns of the incoming government of President Ebrahim Raisi.

EghtesadOnline: The managing director of Securities and Exchange Organization has asked regulatory bodies of banking and insurance sectors to submit to the SEO the names of people with potential access to insider information.

EghtesadOnline: Iran is pushing for its banking industry to be given guaranteed and conclusive sanctions relief at talks to restore the country’s nuclear deal with world powers.

EghtesadOnline: The Central Bank of Iran's department for innovative technologies is working on projects aimed at improving transparency of the banking industry.

EghtesadOnline: New estimations indicate banks and credit institutions affiliated to the government own non- banking assets worth 900 trillion rials ($3.6 billion), the deputy economy minister for banking , insurance and state-owned companies said.

EghtesadOnline: A deputy governor of the Central Bank of Iran met the Australian ambassador to Iran, Ian Biggs, on Tuesday to discuss monetary and banking issues. The two sides agreed to expand banking cooperation.

EghtesadOnline: The fifth edition of the International Exhibition of Exchange, Banking, Insurance and Privatization, being held along with the 10th edition of the Exhibition on Iran’s Investment Opportunities, otherwise known as Kish Invex 2018 opened on Monday at Kish International Exhibition Center.

Finance (FINEX 2016), the international conference on stock exchange, banking and insurance, will start operation today in Tehran International Permanent Fairgrounds.

EghtesadOnline: Bank of Industry and Mine, a specialized bank owned by the government, unveiled an open banking platform in line with belated plans to access new financial technologies.

EghtesadOnline: The Monetary and Banking Research Institute (MBRI), the research arm of Central Bank of Iran, has looked into challenges ahead of Iran’s currency swap agreements and offered solutions.

EghtesadOnline: The Monetary and Banking Research Institute has proposed a series of proposals to supplement previous measures to cope with negative impact of Covid-19 on the economy.

EghtesadOnline: The Money and Credit Council -- the top finance and banking policymaker -- agreed on Wednesday to postpone repayment of loans to mitigate the effect of new coronavirus on businesses.

EghtesadOnline: Bypassing US economic sanctions is the function of a robust private sector and the banking sector will step in to empower private companies, said the CEO of state-owned Bank Melli Iran.

EghtesadOnline: Governor of the Central Bank of Iran and the accompanying delegation arrived in Ankara on Thursday for talks on improving banking and monetary cooperation.

EghtesadOnline: Governor of the Central Bank of Iran has outlined six monetary and banking plans to help fend off the new US economic sanctions.

EghtesadOnline: Equity indices extended decline in the third session on Monday, tracking weakness in commodity stocks and uncertainty regarding the future of export-based companies. Heavy selling was witnessed in at the petrochemical, banking and mineral counters.

EghtesadOnline: To claim a share of Iran’s growing fintech market, Bank Mellat has launched an innovation center to help promote the application of smart technologies in banking .