TEHRAN, july 29, irna -- managing director of iran's chamber of commerce, industries and mines (iccim) mohammad reza karbasi said here monday that with the cooperation of the central bank of iran (cbi), the private sector can receive preferential loans from the islamic development bank (idb).

He told irna that iran, with nine percent share of idb, has received about usd one billion of credit from the bank since march 2000.

He said the state sector has received 90 percent of the idb credit, of which 50 percent has been channelled to imports of consumer goods.

He added that iran's share of idb credit compares with turkey which holds 7.5 percent of the bank's shares has received usd three billion, pakistan with three percent of shares has received usd four billion and jordan with only 0.05 percent of shares has received 1.5 billion in low rate credit from the idb.

Karabasi also chided the economy and finance as well as the oil ministries for their lax attitude in responding to idb's repeated request to extend loans to the iranian private sector.

He said the private sector, with the help of cbi and ministry of economy and finance, can use the low rate loans to participate in joint ventures with the government to complete the slew of unfinished projects throughout the nation.

he also criticized the agricultural and industry-mining banks for not disbursing over usd 10 million of credit received from the idb to the private sector.

karbasi said that the another usd 10 million of credit line has been approved for the export development bank of iran (edbi) which has not as of yet made any effort to obtain the sum.

meanwhile, ministry of economy and finance last week rejected claims of aqil ahmad al-jassim, the secretary-general of the islamic industries and commerce chambers, that it did not make available credit extended by the islamic development bank (idb) to the private sector.

the press release said the claim of al-jassim that ministry of economy and finance, does not cooperate with the jeddah-based idb, is totally baseless.

al-jassim had told a press conference in tehran that ministry of economy and finance creates major obstacle in the way of the absorption of credits ceded by the idb to iranian private sector.

the statement said the idb was established in 1975 and iranian government became its member in 1989. in the period, it said, iran has been successful in getting more than 11 percent of the idb's approved facilities contrary to the secretary general's claims.

it would be illogical to compare the idb's banking facilities, offered to iran with those to such countries as turkey and pakistan, which have been its members since its establishment, said the press release, adding that the data released by al-jassim are unsound.

also, managing director of export development bank of iran (edbi) norouz kahzadi said here earlier in july that iranian exporters can use the services of islamic development bank (idb) insurance company to exports their products.