TEHRAN – Some 196 industrial, mining and trade projects worth 230 trillion rials (about $5.48b) went operational throughout the country since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20) up to June 16.

The mentioned projects have created job opportunities for 10,200 people, Shata reported.

As reported, 95 of the mentioned projects were completely new projects while the other 101 were development plans.

Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry has implemented a new program called “Persistent Production-Effective Employment-Sustainable Exports”, based on which the ministry plans to inaugurate 200 industrial, mining, and trade projects across the country by the Iranian calendar year of 1400 (begins on March 20, 2021).

As reported, a total of 1.69 quadrillion rials (about $40.23 billion) has been invested in the mentioned projects that are going to create job opportunities for 41,000 people.

The mentioned program has been defined by the ministry in line with the government’s new strategies for developing the country’s infrastructure in order to realize the “Surge in Production” motto.

According to the Industry Ministry’s news portal, in the first two months of the current year (March 20-June June 20), despite all the restrictions created by the outbreak of the coronavirus, and also the U.S. sanctions, industrial production increased in many sectors.

The production of car tires increased by 27 percent, the production of chipboard increased by 30 percent and aluminum ingot production saw a 32 percent increase, while the alumina production increased by 8 percent.

Production of industrial oils also experienced a 15 percent rise and petrochemical production rose 6 percent in the said two months.

As reported, the industry ministry has also taken serious measures for the reopening of the country’s borders with the neighbors in order to help the country’s foreign trade back on its normal levels.

Also, in order to supply basic goods for people, 3.5 million tons of wheat were purchased from farmers in the mentioned two months, which was four percent more than the previous year’s guaranteed purchases in the same period.

EF/MA