The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has agreed to resume the monthly payment of pension to veteran craftsmen.
Bahman Namvar Motlaq, the deputy for handicrafts at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, also told IRNA that the ministry will begin paying the pension as before.
“Artisans who have not received their pension must visit ICHHTO or the ministry to resolve the problem,” he said.
In May, it was reported that the pension of veteran artisans had been cut off.
Abdolmajid Sharifzadeh, director of Expansion and Development of Traditional Arts Office at ICHHTO, said at the time, “[The veterans] were supposed to receive the monthly payment of 600,000 to 1.5 million rials ($19 - $45) based on a government directive.
“This would cost the government less than 3.7 billion rials ($115,000) a year to pay the pensions.”
Since lack of funds was cited as the reason for the cutoff, the ministry promised to secure the resources for funding the pension fund.
Motlaq said Management and Planning Organization has been asked to specify whether the ministry or ICHHTO should supply the funds.
However, the amount of pension has not changed, as no additional fund has been allocated.
“However, if the funding increases, we will make changes accordingly,” he said.
Motlaq denied claims that the pensions were severed because veteran artisans have no legal support. He noted that craftsmen produce artworks and new regulations support those who create artworks.
