Restaurant owners suffered losses amounting to 4,000 billion rials ($18 million) due to Covid-19 in the last Iranian year (March 2020-21), the head of Tehran Restaurant Owners Union said.
“None of my colleagues has been able to receive a loan despite promises made by the government. We have recently received a letter from Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian saying restaurant owners will not be subject to a penalty for not paying value added tax. This is while, under the current circumstances, we are against being taxed altogether,” Ali Asghar Mir-Ebrahimi was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
“Nearly 30% of restaurants have gone bankrupt, workers’ wages have increased by 39% and the prices of raw materials have risen as well. Restaurants have been forced to make 30% of their workers redundant since the outbreak of coronavirus,” he added.
Restaurants and caterings were among the first businesses to be hit hard following the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
