TEHRAN- A national conference on boosting production through reviving and developing small mines was held at Eram Hotel in Tehran on Tuesday, IRIB reported.

The conference was attended by Deputy Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Jafar Sarqini, Head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) Khodadad Gharibpour, a number of directors and experts in mining sector, entrepreneurs active in projects related to the small mines, and some economists who offered their suggested strategies for reviving the small mines in the country.

Attracting the government’s aids for operating small mines, and recognizing investors and investees for reviving these mines in line with materializing “Resistance Economy” were some objectives of the event.

Establishment of high-capacity industrial units recently in Iran indicates the need for the supply of more minerals as feedstock for these units.

This reason besides some other ones such as sanctions on the country’s economic sector have encouraged mining sector to revive the small mines which constitute 98 percent of mines in the country.

Previously, due to lack of liquidity and infrastructure, exploration projects were not seen economically viable for these mines, but now they have come under the spotlight.

And in this regard, mining sector has put a plan for reviving and renovating small mines on the agenda of its activity.

Head of IMIDRO has mentioned this plan as one of the most significant plans of “Resistance Economy”, saying that his organization is strongly determined to carry out it.

The official said reviving small mines stands among the top priorities of IMIDRO in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2019).

While the government is seriously following up the plan for reviving small mines, private sector’s contribution is also highly needed in this field.

Also, it should not be ignored that reviving those mines requires specific machinery and technology.

And as the owners of the mines do no afford buying those expensive machinery, different methods and approaches should be adopted in a way that exploiting the small mines will be economically viable.

MA/MA