Coronavirus: Lawmaker says interior ministry rejected proposal to postpone election
April 3, 2020, 3:27 pm

Coronavirus: Lawmaker says interior ministry rejected proposal to postpone election

Iranian election officials wear masks as they wait for voters during parliamentary elections at the Shah Abdul Azim shrine on the southern outskirts of Tehran on February 21, 2020. (Reuters)

Lawmaker Bahram Parsaei said Iran’s ministry of interior rejected a proposal to postpone the parliamentary election in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. ministry

The Islamic Republic officially announced the spread of coronavirus to the country on February 19 by reporting two deaths due to the virus in the Shia holy city of Qom.

The country held its eleventh parliamentary election two days later on February 21, which registered the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic.

“We were asked to postpone the election because of coronavirus, or at least postpone it in Qom, but we resisted and did not accept these proposals,” Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in a meeting the day after the election, according to a member of parliament Parsaei.

Parsaei criticized the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying that Qom, the epicenter of the outbreak, should have been quarantined to avoid the spread of the virus to the rest of the country.

The Iranian regime has been accused of mishandling its response to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, including deliberately covering up details of the outbreak to maximize turnout in parliamentary elections.

Documents obtained by an Iranian exile-run news site show that a senior Iranian official instructed authorities to only implement public health measures after the elections on February 21. In contrast, the regime has insisted it acted as soon as it became aware of the problem.

According to the Associated Press, the days in which the regime denied the presence of the virus allowed it to spread, as the regime prioritized the legitimacy it sought from elections over public health. ministry

“The medical staff today pay the biggest price in the fight against coronavirus,” Parsaei told the semi-official ILNA news agency on Friday.

The number of doctors and nurses who have died of coronavirus in Iran is “high,” he said.

Health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpour said on March 25 that 43 medical professionals have died from coronavirus in Iran.

“This figure is smaller compared with other countries that had an outbreak at the same time or before Iran,” he said.

Parsaei also criticized authorities for expelling a team of doctors from international humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) who came to the country on March 23 to treat coronavirus patients in Isfahan, one of the country’s worst-hit provinces.

He called the decision to expel the MSF team “very questionable,” adding: “This behavior was not in line with Iranian customs and culture. MSF is active all over the world and is not affiliated with any institution.” ministry

As of Friday, 2,517 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 53,183 confirmed cases. levant

source: Yaghoub Fazeli levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.