<p dir="ltr"><span>Financial Tribune- Considering the number of Bank Sepah branches after the merger, Mohammad Kazem Choqazardi referred to programs to optimize the bank’s performance by downsizing. <br> The move to merge five banks and credit institutions -- affiliated to military organizations – with Sepah started in March, as part of the Central Bank of Iran’s broader plan to reform the dysfunctional banking sector, improve efficiency and eject loss-making banks. <br> The merged entities include Ansar Bank, Bank Hekmat Iranian, Mehr Eqtesad Bank, Ghavamin Bank and Kosar Credit Institution. <br> <br class="t-last-br"> </span></p>